Drivers Education

In my two years of driving, I am now on my third motor vehicle. I have personally been involved in two car accidents, one of which was my own fault, one of which was the result of a teenage drunk driver. Car accidents are all too common of a topic in high school gossip. I remember some of my classmates getting into car accidents in my disaster of a high school parking lot last year, one of which totaled her brand new Audi A4. I have had some friends go to the hospital due to sliding on some ice, causing the car to roll over, crushing my said friend’s sister under the car and paralyzing her. As for myself, the accidents I have been a part of have resulted in no injuries, but some of my peers were not so lucky.

Drivers education, as it existed for me, consisted of a series of videos at a rather cold hotel conference room. It was then followed by a booklet containing the rules of the road and what to do in “adverse” situations like hydroplaning or when driving in snow. While I dreaded every moment of it, drivers education was vital for me, learning the basics of the road, and not putting myself in life threatening situations unknowingly. The most helpful aspect of drivers education, however, was the behind the wheel instruction. Reading what each lever does in a booklet is one thing, but learning how that lever actually interacts with the car is different, especially because each car system differs. If I had been thrown onto the road right after the “classroom” portion of my drivers education, I would have killed someone or myself. Without that one-to-one proper guidance, I would second guess myself too much, and make wrong decisions on the road just because I was not used to driving before.

I believe the behind the wheel instruction is the most important and informative part of drivers education, apart from how to deal with ice and snow. I live in Colorado, and plan to hopefully go to college in Minnesota, where there is snow and ice that accumulate on the road for a large portion of the year. That portion is glossed over in the drivers education I experienced. That topic was met with a “ease on the brakes” and “don’t floor it when accelerating”. Of course, that made sense, but it’s not really solidified until driving with no traction is experienced. Now knowing how to drive in the snow two years later, I know I need to go slower, particularly around corners, and to not turn the wheel when braking. But, that came at the cost of an alignment for me, and for one of my friends’ sister’s ability to walk. Driving on snow and ice should be a topic covered more in more depth.

Road rage and adrenaline have also been an issue in driving. I had a friend from my tennis club, who on his way back from a tennis match was caught behind a rather slow driver. Impatiently, this individual chose to move into the opposing lane of traffic to try to pass this person, thinking the coast was clear. Unfortunately his life was ended that day, as he came into a head first collision with a large semi truck. I had played tennis with this individual many times in the past, so finding out that he had tragically lost his life due to a completely avoidable and careless mistake was heartbreaking. Drivers education does a relatively good job at establishing the rules of the road and what to do in a given situation, but it doesn’t really teach how to respond to emotion. If he had been patient going home, he would be alive today. I cannot count the amount of times I have been tailed for not driving over the speed limit, or the amount of times I have unknowingly and unintentionally tailed other people. I have never gone into an opposing lane to pass someone, but emotion still runs its course when driving. To make the most logical, safest decision, emotion should stay relatively out of the picture when driving.

Having experienced a couple accidents, I can learn from the mistakes of myself, as well as learn from the mistakes of my peers. I already try to be a relatively responsible driver, but in the future, I plan to take better care of my driving in the snow and on ice, as well as better keep my emotions in check when at the wheel.