The Responsibility of a Driver

Clara Portillo

2020 Drivers ed Essay Contest

1 August 2020

Responsibility of a Driver

Driving a car is a responsibility and a privilege, not a right or a luxury. Thus, drivers ed is very important to be a responsible and safe driver to keep everyone on the road including yourself, other drivers, and pedestrians safe. Drivers ed has high importance of reducing driving death tolls since it opens the mind of new drivers and clearly illustrates the consequences on the driver and/or victim(s) of not being a safe, responsible driver. Steps that can be taken to reduce the number of death tolls related to driving are not only having a permit’s test and driver’s test but be able to demonstrate that one can drive and understand the rules of the roads. Many people I know that have their license, barely passed their driver’s test, and truly didn’t understand the rules of the road. There should be more rigorous ways of grading driving tests and truly allowing the driver to be responsibly graded to the fullest extent. The driver should be exposed to multiple types of unfamiliar/uncommon roads and signals, prior to the driver’s test to be able to truly understand all rules to drive and of the road. My older cousin was given her license, yet a lot of types of light-signal, sign, and road rules are unfamiliar to her. She was at a 3-way light signal which she was intending to turn left, in which the upcoming cars had the right of way. The light she was at was on green for the upcoming cars of the opposite way, and so was the one we were in, but to turn left you had to yield upcoming cars of the opposite way. She crosses the street when clearly it is not her right of way and almost crashes into a car. If the upcoming car wouldn’t have slowed down and stopped, then she would have caused a car accident. Driving courses need more on-hand driving tests to get a gist of what the driver knows or doesn’t know. She has her license and still doesn’t understand certain rules of the road. People that are not aware of all rules of the road should not be permitted to have a license. Drivers ed, courses, and tests need to be stricter and more rigorous so that people acknowledge and understand the rules of the road and consequences. The steps I take to be a better driver is reading all signs of the roads, keep aware of the outside surroundings of the car. If I am driving to a new area, I will usually go on google maps and look at the route and supervise turn signals and signs, to see what I need to be prepared for. This same advice I give to all my fellow family, friends, and any other drivers; that If you don’t truly know all rules of the road, then please do not risk the lives of oneself, other drivers, and pedestrians. As well to not be distracted and driving because, in a second of looking away from your surroundings, you can cause a catastrophic accident in the road.