The Knowledge of Being Behind the Wheel

Samantha Syracuse

In the Driver’s Seat scholarship essay

The Knowledge of Being Behind the Wheel

What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about motor vehicles? Freedom, maturity, independence? Maybe it brings back memories of an exciting family road trip across the coast, shouting “punch bug!” with siblings along the way. As much of a pleasure it can be to zoom down the thruway, ignorant and unsafe driving has severe consequences and the statistics prove it. In the United States alone, around 34,000 people have died in motor vehicle accidents, exceeding the number of American deaths in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And what is the number one cause of motor vehicle accidents? Ignorance and distracted driving(www.idrivesafely.com). And the age group that’s involved in the most car accidents? Teenagers just learning to drive(aaafoundation.org). What’s concerning about this is that a majority of these accidents are avoidable with common sense and knowledge. By educating drivers to be safer and smarter on the road, we can greatly diminish the number of ignorance-related accidents and create a better environment for everyone in the driver’s seat.

Driver’s education has played an important role in educating young drivers since 1920 when traffic safety courses were taught in public schools. (motorcities.org). Nowadays, it seems as if driver’s education is being done away with as young drivers have to seek out other methods to learn to drive. While some states like New York require formal education and a permit before applying for a license, only 31 require formal driver’s education to get a license and only 11 states have permit requirements. The states that don’t require formal training instead require a certain amount of supervised driving time, except for Arkansas which doesn’t have any requirements when applying for a license (leg.wa.gov). With teens most likely to be involved in car accidents, wouldn’t it make sense to mandate formal driver’s education in all 50 states? By ensuring that drivers have professional training under their belt, students can learn how to safely navigate potentially dangerous situations like snowstorms and busy intersections thus reducing the amount of ignorance-related accidents. Additionally, professional driving instructors know how to teach students better than their parents or supervisors. While parents certainly can be knowledgeable drivers, driving instructors are much better suited to teach students as they’re required to have ample driving experience and a state-issued teaching license (study.com). It’s like having your lights repaired by a professional electrician or a neighbor down the street that has some knowledge of circuits. They most likely would be able to fix the lights, but the electrician is professionally trained and has the exact technique to repair them.

A strong education is one of the most valuable assets a person can have to be successful, and driving is no different. In order to be safe behind the wheel, it’s crucial to understand how to operate a vehicle correctly for the sake of everyone on the road. And the only way to do this is by changing the driver’s education system so that no driver is without the necessary knowledge to be wise in the driver’s seat.