In The Hot Seat

Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, I consider my driving environment just about average. There is an average amount of traffic. There is an average amount of crashes. Everyone seems to drive relatively safely. Compared to the bustling metros of Los Angeles and New York, I thought, Nashville seems like a flat expanse of highway. But what does it mean to be average? Average means 38,000 people lose their life to crashes each year. Average means 4.4 million people need medical attention from car accidents each year. Average is not good enough. No matter where you look, there are too many drunk drivers. Too many reckless drivers. Too many distracted drivers. The only proven remedy is education. While the problem will never truly be eradicated, it is our duty as a society to do the best that we can.

One phone call was all it took to send my family into a frenzy of phone calls and prayers. My cousin’s car had been struck by a drunk driver, flipping the car over. Even worse, their 2-year-old son was on board. Luckily, everyone was safe, but one thing became clear: nowhere else can your life change in a split second then while driving. One careless turn, one bad decision, and your life is completely thrown on a different course. 

Drivers ed stands paramount in its fight to eradicate situations such as these. Having personally attended a comprehensive drivers ed course, I can speak confidently when I say that it may have saved my life. The combination of memorized rules and stories from the lecturer transformed the way that I think about driving, and I am not alone in this experience. Drivers ed has the ability to prevent crashes years before they happen. A future bad turn can be prevented by fully knowing the rules of the road. A bad decision can be avoided by knowing the impact of emotions on driving. An innumerable amount of sticky situations can be avoided. 

Drivers ed also has an impact on those who do not attend. An educated driver can point out the mistakes of a close friend or sibling. My sister used to always text and drive near our house, thinking that since she knew the road that she would be fine. But in reality, this is where most crashes occur. After pointing this out and nagging her about the dangers of distracted driving, she has never considered texting and driving again. This knowledge may have saved her life.

Drivers ed saves lives, plain and simple. It is the most effective step to reduce the number of deaths on the road because in essence, every other piece of advice is covered in its umbrella. It is solely because of drivers ed programs that I have become the best driver I can be, knowing not to become distracted, blind with emotion, or tired. Drivers are always in the hot seat. Isn’t it obvious that we should educate them as best as humanly possible?