The Importance of Driver Education

Driver Education is crucial in reducing the number of automobile accidents and deaths. In many cases car accidents are avoidable if drivers are properly trained and practice good, safe driving habits. According to the United States Department of Transportation, Americans drove less in 2020 due to COVID 19 lockdown, however 38,680 people died in vehicle crashes. This is the largest number of deaths reported since 2007. I believe there are a few factors that have led to this increase. First of all, in many schools across the country Driver’s Education is no longer taught. Parents are responsible for teaching their children and many parents use online programs. I personally believe that face to face instruction is better than an online format. In addition, drivers are more distracted than ever with cell phones and constant texting and use of social media. It is not uncommon to see people going live on social media while they are driving. Cell phones should not be in use while driving. Even hands free talking can cause drivers to be distracted if they are not focused on the road but rather their phone conversation. Many phones have a do not disturb feature that should be used while driving. 

Steps that can be taken to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents are more in depth driver education courses taught in school. Teaching driver education courses in school would mean that in most cases the courses would be free of charge. This is very important. I believe all students should have access to free driver education. Some parents are not able to afford drivers education courses and this can lead to unprepared drivers on the road which is a recipe for disaster. I also believe that good driving habits start at home and parents need to model safe driving. Parents should not text and drive because distractions can definitely make a difference and cause accidents. Parents should also wear seatbelts and make sure their children do the same. In some cases, accidents are caused by weather or unforeseen circumstances rather than distractions. If an accident occurs, a person is less likely to be killed or severely injured if they are wearing a seatbelt. 

My family has been personally affected by a vehicle accident. Twenty-five years ago, my aunt was involved in a serious car accident. While she had many injuries, she was lucky to be alive. My aunt was 16 years old and had not been driving very long. She was driving my mom’s car and she looked down to change the radio station. When she looked up, she was headed straight toward a tree. She had missed a curve in the road because she was distracted. She was alone in the car but my mom and her friend were not far behind. They were the first to come upon the wreck actually. My mom’s friend called 911 and my mom ran to her sister. My mom knew right away that it was serious. My aunt was trapped in the car and it took firefighters about an hour to get her out. She had a broken arm and needed surgery to repair her nose, which was basically gone from the impact on the steering wheel.  She was lucky though because it could have been so much worse. Before my brother and I started driving, my mom told us this story. We have seen the pictures of the car and it’s truly amazing that my aunt is still alive. My family and I know firsthand what can happen if drivers are distracted. It’s truly not safe to take your eyes off the road for even a second.  

I believe that we can all do things to improve our driving and become better, safer drivers. First of all, we can try to remove all distractions from our vehicles and completely focus on the road. It is also important to pay attention to other drivers as well who may be distracted. Sometimes evasive action is necessary to avoid an accident. Sometimes there is nothing we can do though. A few years ago my mom was traveling through a traffic light and she had a green light. In the middle of the intersection, a car turned left in front of her and hit her. She tried to avoid the accident and turned right but there was no way to avoid it. She was wearing her seatbelt and by turning right, the other car hit her wheel instead of hitting her head on. Luckily, no one was seriously injured in this accident and all parties were wearing seatbelts. I believe wearing seatbelts is a huge factor in reducing the number of deaths in motor vehicle accidents.