The Necessity of Drivers Ed

There are few things in life that do not incorporate education as a necessity. Why is your responsibility as a driver often neglected in regard to comprehensive education? Driving a vehicle is a tremendous responsibility; in some regards it is seen as a rite of passage. Why would our approach to this milestone be accompanied by practical knowledge of this responsibility? Driving is a crucial and paramount skill to engage in the opportunities of the transition towards adulthood. Education has a symbiotic relationship with one’s ability to navigate life. So we must view one’s ability to navigate our country’s roads and byways as not just a metaphor but as a holistic response to the goals of a young driver.

It is no secret knowledge that we as American’s spend a tremendous part of their day-to-day lives in their vehicles. With this ubiquitous reality, it means that we are more likely to die as a result of errant, uninformed, and ill-prepared drivers. Education becomes the benchmark of what separates us from both becoming a victim or a victimizer while we are behind the wheel. I believe that steps need to be taken beyond just simple testing of one’s ability to pass a test one-time. There is an intrinsic need for driving education to be detailed and tiered. Something that routinely needs to be reassessed more often and more regularly for drivers under the of 24 years old. The education of vehicle operation should be reaching beyond rules of the road but incorporate proper vehicle maintenance and simulation of how to operate vehicles under duress. I believe in this not just in principle, but in relation to practical and tangible reality as well.

I lost two close classmates to a vehicle crash in 2006. It is the aftermath I relive often nearly 15 years later. I see the pain this tragedy leaves behind. Although the cause of the crash was not completely clear we do know know that my friends’ vehicle experienced a failure that led them into oncoming traffic. I can’t help but wonder if they were distracted or what could have been prevented if they would had this very instance drilled as a potential scenario would their lives had been saved?. Could these two young women still be here if they knew more about how to maintain a vehicle? Would they had been able to know the warning signs that their back wheel had integrity issues? I am left with these questions as unanswered because there are no opportunities for my friends. This is why I am passionate about knowledgeable and comprehensive driving instruction. It saves lives, it brings about greater opportunity.

We may ask ourselves what can we do? I think the crucial thing is to be aware that of our weaknesses as drivers. Be willing to have a conversation when we see poor driving choices. I know I need to be a better passenger. Take the risk of being uncomfortable to be good support to young people driving.