Drivers Education: In the Driver’s Seat

Jacqueline Serna

17 October 2020

Drivers Education: In the Driver’s Seat

The United States holds many dangers in its midst, but the most common is motor vehicle accidents. Although motor vehicle accidents are the most common in the United States, they can also be preventable. Small steps can be taken to eliminate motor vehicle accidents such as pulling into traffic slowly, limiting night driving, taking driver’s education, and more. Although car accidents may be inevitable, civilians may help decrease the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents by simply following general driving guidelines provided through driver’s education in the U.S.

Throughout the years, numerous people have attended driver education classes to learn how to drive safely. Although the course’s sole purpose is to educate amateur drivers in basic vehicle control and traffic maneuvers, many fail to practice it in the real world after receiving their license/permit. Nonetheless, driver’s education helps in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving by teaching amateur drivers how to safely operate a vehicle on busy streets, traffic, at night, and during other dangerous driving circumstances such as rain. Those who don’t complete the course, for example, teens, are “twenty-four percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and sixteen percent more likely to have an accident” (Leslie Reed). Meanwhile, those who did take the course had significantly fewer accidents thus demonstrating that drivers ed does in fact reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.

Although teens and adults who don’t complete drivers ed are a small portion of road accidents, many other factors come into play. Such as distracted driving (calling, texting, etc), drunk driving, reckless driving, driving in bad weather, etc. These factors have partially resulted in approximately “38,000 people who have died every year in car crashes in the U.S.” (ASIRT). Some steps citizens can practice to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is obeying traffic guidelines, turning off their phone/silent mode, avoid distractions, be on high alert when driving in bad weather, and avoid drugs or alcohol if they plan on driving at any time during the day. Drivers need to be on high alert when driving in bad weather because it can often cause them to lose control over their vehicles. When this occurs, it can cause a collision with other vehicles or ultimately swerve off the main road and crash.

Several people have first-hand experience of being in a car accident or have witnessed their friends or family members drive irresponsibly. While I, on the other hand, had seen friends drive recklessly in the rain and have gotten easily distracted by their phones. Some steps that may help people and myself become better drivers are by paying attention to our surroundings, avoid phone use, go the speed limit, control one’s road rage, follow driving guidelines, etc. Good driving habits can be learned through drivers ed, and should be practiced our whole lives.