The Driver’s Seat

The Driver’s Seat

Driver’s education is a rather simple course that is used to help a new driver become more defensive and aware of their surroundings. It also will help a new driver develop vehicle control and traffic maneuvers. While driver’s education is an important step to obtain your license, it also has a more important attribute: safety. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death of teenagers, resulting in a total of one-third of all deaths. Fortunately, those that are currently enrolled in driver’s education classes are less likely to be involved in a crash or receive a traffic violation. Due to the fatality rate of motor vehicle accidents, this reduction is truly meaningful and important.

Vehicles are truly amazing machines that offer both freedom and convenience, however, the risks are real. A step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is avoiding distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 3,000 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2013. Additionally, 9% of all teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2017 were caused by distracted driving. Paying attention to the road is extremely important. Avoiding operating a vehicle while intoxicated is also important. Too often driver’s get behind the wheel with impaired judgement and slow reaction time caused by consuming alcohol. Every 50 minutes, a person in the United States is killed by drunk-driving crashes. Furthermore, drinking and driving has claimed more than 10,000 a year. Drinking and driving is simply not worth the risk of devastating a family and/or a community. Speed limit is also critical because it exists for a reason. Exceeding a speed limit means that you are driving at a speed that is faster than what was intended for that particular road. This puts others at risk because the faster you drive the less reaction time you have, which is necessary to avoid an accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that speeding was a factor in 29% of motor vehicle fatalities in 2013. By following the speed limit, you could possibly save a life. Overall, there are a variety of different ways to reduce the number of fatalities related to driving. It is important to remain focused and follow the rules of the road.

In 2015, my family and I fell victim to a distracted driver. During our road trip to Destin, Florida, a man crashed into the back of our van at full speed on a freeway. The mother suffered a back injury and my grandmother suffered a head injury. The experience was extremely scary and overwhelming, however, it did give me motivation to be an educated and responsible driver for the sake of myself and others. To be a better and safer driver, I have enrolled in a driver’s education course before obtaining my license. Additionally, I take notes while watching videos of motor vehicle crashes on YouTube to educate myself on common driving mistakes.