Importance of Driver Education

Finally being able to drive is an exciting part of a person’s life. Having the freedom to drive wherever and whenever is relieving, but most do not realize how serious driving really is. There are several consequences that come with driving and one mishap can turn into a life-changing event. Leading up to being able to drive, there should be many steps taken and a comfort level before being on the road with other people

Before even taking the wheel, correct education needs to be done in order to feel prepared and safe while taking on this important task. Driving schools and tests need to be completed to understand the rules on the road in order to protect yourself and others. Driving school is helpful because it allows you to practice with an instructor. While driving around with them, they will educate you on the different road signs and prepare you for the future. Being with an instructor while help you gain confidence so you feel comfortable enough to drive by yourself. Driving tests will quiz you on important information that might show up when you are driving. This can help prepare you for any situation and show you how to deal with them. This will ensure the safety of yourself and everyone around you because you took the time to educate yourself.

Allowing yourself time to make progress and get comfortable with this new chapter in your life is important. Practicing during any free time is essential in taking it slow and going at your own pace. Beginning on roads with fewer people will allow you to go at your own speed, make some mistakes without any consequences, and show a glimpse of what driving on roads is actually like. After some time, you can start driving on back roads. With more cars and people around, this can allow you to feel what it is like to drive with other people. Finally, after gaining enough confidence, you can drive on the main roads and highways. Knowing that you took driving seriously and went step-by-step, it should be easy to have other drivers surrounding you. This whole process will allow for a decrease in the number of deaths because you educated yourself and did everything you could to prepare yourself. This will keep yourself and everyone around you safe while driving.

Driving responsibly is something I take very seriously. Although I have never been in a car accident, I have witnessed one and seen other people driving irresponsibly. While I sat at a red light one time, a man coming off of the highway ran a red light while on his phone. As the other light turned green, a woman turned and both cars collided. I was very frightened after seeing this and knew that if the man was not on his phone, this accident would have been avoided. Also, there have been many times when my family or friends are driving and are more worried about scrolling through their phone or replying to their text messages. I always grab their phone, offer to finish what they were doing, and inform them about the serious consequences of being careless while driving. They are appreciative when I do this because they know I am looking out for them and everyone driving around us. In the moment, they think being on the phone or replying to someone is very important. They do not realize that replying back can wait. The text message or phone call will still be there and you can answer when you get home, but if an accident were to happen, you may risk your life and others. Understanding the importance of focusing on the road and not letting anything around you distract you is crucial in avoiding accidents.

To keep others safe on the road, it starts with you. Keeping your phone out of sight will allow you to not reach for it and risk-taking your eyes off of the road. Turning the radio down will reduce the noise and distraction in the car, allowing you to think and react to any situation that might occur. Always staying alert is the best thing you can do. You can not control what others on the road are doing, but staying focused and doing everything you can to help keep yourself and others safe is very helpful. This way, if someone is not paying attention, you are aware and you can avoid a potential accident. Remembering that once you get inside a car, everything else can wait because it only takes one wrong move to change your life or someone else’s.