The negative stigma surrounding asking driving questions: the absurdity

What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?

We are all aware of the false pretenses that come with driving–a seatbelt will ensure your safety; patience will warrant a peaceful drive; and most of all, the dang engine light. I am not exaggerating when I express that my heart skipped a beat when the yellow light danced around my speedometer, and I had little idea what exactly was wrong with my newly gifted Hyundai. For some oddity, I thought that because the car was new and gifted and cleaned that I wouldn’t have many issues, but for me, just the opposite has proven true. A significant amount of drivers have little idea how to handle many of the simple tasks it takes to maintain a car: Where do I get my oil changed? What does this light mean? Can I even go at this green light? Is “right on red” a conspiracy just as TikTok informed me?

The issue here is not the misinformation or the sheer ignorance, but it is the negative stigma surrounding asking questions about the driver’s car. I recall my palms sweating profusely when I had to ask my instructor about my uncertainties, when in reality, these questions should be encouraged. Asking questions implies concentration and desire, which generally are necessities when it comes to getting behind the wheel in the first place. I would always dread asking questions about my car; PSI? MPG? because I felt as though it was common knowledge. In reality, I had never driven before! It baffles me that there is such a negative connotation about the cluelessness of driving, and if it were to be embraced, we would have a future of more confident drivers.

Awareness is key here, and it all really does start with a few things:

• Access to driving education

• Recognition of ignorance

• Teaching drivers what that aforementioned yellow light means

Teaching in preparation for a variety of scenarios on the road is needed because truly, drivers will not have time when driving to ask a surplus of questions to a parent or instructor. The majority of the time, a few measly seconds are given to make a decision, and sometimes this determines life or death. Therefore instead of education focusing on when drivers can go or cannot go at the light (though this is crucial,) let’s also focus on different scenarios that can happen such as a tire busting or what really to do in the case of extreme rain. Further, I’ll inform you that I only learned a few weeks ago (a few weeks!!) where my emergency lights were in my car. Things like this should be discussed openly, and being an advocate for the promotion of ignorance awareness, I strongly argue that we need to work as drivers and educators to remove that negative stigma. If we do not, where do drivers learn unbiased information? Often times, younger drivers learn on social media, which we all recognize as at least a tad biased in nature. Moreover, getting help with the issues is a large portion of the problem as well. Having the resources needed to get an oil change or to get the headlights in the car replaced is a necessity, and can save drivers a lot of tickets!

Helping others ensure their own safety (and mine) is a bit more difficult. I tend to be a control freak, but I do recognize that in this case, I am not one to educate on drivers safety. I could discuss the role phones have on crashes or the importance of the seatbelt, but when it comes to hands-on scenarios, a certified educator would know much more about handling difficult situations on the road than I. Therefore, my place would be better served by increasing awareness of the suggestive stigma of driving on social media, which would include taking safety precautions seriously and truly educating individuals my age and younger on the importance of asking a question. Often times, it can be intimidating to ask an adult what seems like an obvious question (i.e. where the E-Lights are,) and if more peers around them were to support the flow of questions, driving would significantly less stressful. At seventeen, my driver’s seat looks differently than an adult’s, and I believe that a good amount of confusion rises from this–when educators teach driving skills, there is a focus on being extremely perceptive and being knowledgeable on every single incident that could occur, when in reality, a large amount of perceptiveness and knowledge will grow with time because of experience and the growing frontal lobe of the individual. Although I see the importance of recognition of these factors, I too think that people my age can help this significant dilemma when it comes to driver’s education.

Consequently, being part of a new generation of drivers, some responsibility does fall onto my shoulders; discussing patience and embracing the nuance that comes with driving decisions. Truly, positive reinforcement should come with asking reasonable questions especially on social media. Education could be further targeted within social media where most kids spend their time, thus creating awareness.

As a new driver, I have a unique perspective when it comes to the topic, and if more around me would have discussed the importance of safety as a trend (not as an avoidance) as well as asking questions, I might have known what the yellow light meant on my dashboard.