There’s No Rush

There’s No Rush

By Tsion Ayele

Growing up in the State of Maryland, I learned first-hand the importance of driver’s education and its role in reducing the number of driving-related deaths. In order to obtain a driver’s license, Maryland residents have to complete a two week driver’s education class and three in-car driving lessons with an instructor. At the time, I thought that Maryland was being too strict with its driving laws and that we didn’t need all this education to tell us that we should drive responsibly. However, when I went to college and I saw how my friends from other states drove, I realized that there was a major difference between drivers with proper education and drivers without proper education.

D.C. for example does not require its residents to take a two week class. They arrive the day of their driver’s test only with the knowledge they learned on their own. In contrast to how I received driver’s education, I was taught by a state curriculum and the class covered an array of subjects ranging from drunk driving, texting while driving, and distracted driving in general. I believe that this knowledge greatly affected how I view the road and my role in keeping myself and the people around me safe.

I listened to stories of people who were not being responsible on the road, even for a second, and their lives changed completely. Suddenly, they found themselves living with the guilt and shame of their driving negligence. This was the biggest takeaway that I got from my driver’s education. I learned that not being responsible on the road has irreversible consequences and I hold that weight with me whenever I go on the road. I do not want to be the cause of somebody else’s hurt so I drive very carefully and I make decisions, like ignoring a text message or call or being completely sober before going behind the wheel, so that I reduce my risks of getting in an accident.

Unfortunately, I grew up witnessing some terrible driving habits from family and friends, like texting while driving and road rage. My friend from DC has terrible road rage and she often cuts people off or tailgates them and when I see behaviors like this, I tend to calmly ask the person to calm down and be patient. My mother always said that you will get to your destination, it doesn’t matter if you are late or not, you will eventually get there. So why rush and drive reckless? I took that lesson with me and I try to share it with the people that I am surrounded with. Ultimately, there is nothing more important than our safety and well-being and there is nothing that should jeopardize our ability to be safe drivers on the road.

If driver’s education allows people to become aware of their responsibilities on the road, pushing for a nationwide drivers education curriculum can be the first step in reducing the number of driving-related deaths and accidents. Changing driving-related behaviors is going to be a challenge but we need to start now so that future generations may develop better habits on the road. The seat belt was once a radical idea and it has now become a social norm that has been able to save countless lives. Driver’s education should provide concrete tools on how to deal with road rage or impatience and annoyance while on the road. It should also provide concrete steps on how to deal with drunk driving and how to handle a situation before a drunk person gets behind the wheel.

Distracted driving is something that I experienced growing up and what I see my younger sister going through now. Being young and driving with friends for the first time is exciting but it should not negate the responsibilities that the driver holds. More education centered around driving at a young age should be taught. In Maryland, the highest percentage of driving-related deaths occur between the ages 25-29. People are young and able to make their own decisions for the first time. It is essential that there are guidelines for young people to be responsible even when they are surrounded by friends and the distractions are very high.

There has been such a long history of driving-related preventions and intervention strategies aimed at reducing the number of deaths. We have come so far as a nation and each generation has been able to gain new understanding on the importance of responsible driving. If we keep pushing this message and provide resources for everyone to learn proper driving education, we will be well on our way to making our communities a safer place to drive.