Learning the Importance of Safe Driving … The Hard Way

Having personally caused a car accident as a high schooler with a new license, I have had ample time to reflect on the importance of driver education and safe driving. Even though this event occurred over four years ago, reminding myself of the shock, realization, and fear associated with the accident are more than enough to push me to advocate for safe driving practices.

I think many new drivers, like my younger self, saw driver education as an obstacle to a taste of freedom, and for many this can cause them to overlook seemingly frivolous rules or guidelines. It was my misinterpretation of the importance of these guidelines that led to what could have ended my life. While approaching a right turn on a red light and yield sign, I felt I did not need to come to a complete stop, even though it is advised. As I went past the intersection, the car in front of me stopped and as an effect I crashed into their bumper. Although I am fortunate that my decision to not stop did not cost me my life, my choice totaled my car and damaged another driver’s car.

After this experience and many important conversations about safety with my parents, I see the immense value in defensive driving and always taking the time to double check what I think I am certain of. I know that even when I am doing everything in my power to do the right thing, it only takes on person to cause an accident that could take a life. I have a much deeper appreciation and understanding for safe driving practices today, and I frequently check with myself while driving. Instead of making daring or risky driving decisions because “they make you cool,” I ask myself if I would feel safe if this happened while someone else was driving. If the answer is no, then I make an effort to prevent recreating those unsafe feelings. It would be incredibly difficult to make every driving experience a perfect one, but if I hold myself to a high standard of safety, I know I can do my best to prevent another accident.

Driver education is fundamentally the most important thing in keeping yourself and other people on the road safe and there is nothing scarier than seeing a hazardous driver on the road. Education and knowledge are powerful in creating safe drivers – having prior education or training when dealing with new or stressful driving situations gives drivers the tools to overcome these obstacles. If people are better able to work together to keep roads safe by abiding to driver education principles, I believe this would reduce the number of driving-related deaths and accidents. Keeping the roads safe is the duty of the drivers; being empowered by the knowledge of safe driving makes the biggest difference in preventing driving-related deaths.

To reduce the amounts of driving-related deaths, I think it would be valuable to ask drivers to retake certain portions of the driver education course every so many years. The longer we drive and effectively make up our own rules, the more likely we are to forget what the right driving decisions are when faced with a choice. This type of approach is seemingly difficult to implement, but there are other methods that could make a difference. I also think it is extremely important to remind people why safe driving is important, and I think that the power of sharing a story can be immeasurable in changing people’s attitudes about driving. When people can see the often-horrendous effects of ignoring driver education, it becomes much harder to ignore the safe driving expectations. One of my biggest takeaways from high school was an assembly where a young woman who survived a drunk driving incident spoke. She shared her story of the crash, having her leg amputated, the recovery, and how her entire life has changed as the product of unsafe driving. This story along with my own personal experience have made an immense impact in my attitude towards driving.

The bigger the effort made to confront people with the reality of unsafe and reckless driving will have the most profound impact in causing a change. From both my own personal experience and the stories of others, safe driving is no longer a suggestion I can overlook, it is what I strive for every time I buckle into a car. Through the power of driver education and safety, the drivers can make an intense and meaningful difference in decreasing the number of driving-related deaths.