Learning to Drive in a Pandemic

Having just turned 18 last week, I’ve been driving for just over 2 years. While I attended driving school and received my learner’s permit before the onset of the pandemic, the bulk of my driving has occurred during the pandemic. It has been amazing to me to witness the differences in driving habits over this 2 year period.

One of the first observations I made while attending the classroom part of driving school was that some things have changed over the years. While taking me to school one day, my Dad tried to impress me with his mocking “10 and 2” comment. He was surprised when I told him that the current teaching was not “10 and 2”, but “9 and 3”. It made me wonder: My Dad has been driving for over 40 years, and yet was not aware of the new teaching. How many other people are not aware of that?

Should there be some sort of requirement for refresher driver training after decades of having a license. There have been been so many technological advances with automobiles, from the advent of backup cameras, a plethora of on-board computers, self-driving features just to name a few. How many people are driving these newer vehicles without comprehending how best to utilize these features.

Probably the biggest thing I’ve noticed is the amount of distracted driving that occurs on a daily basis. It took many states too long to realize that changes needed to be made. My Dad explained to me that the original “car phone” was the size of a small television, and that only Doctors had them in their vehicles. Nowadays, it is rare to see an automobile that doesn’t have some communication capability, if not wi-fi as well. I sometimes wish I could be a police officer for a day, and issue many warnings to the multitude of drivers that I see not paying attention. How many times do you stop at a traffic light, then have to wait for a vehicle in front of you to realize 3-5 seconds later that the light has turned green?

Having sat in the backseat of a car for the majority of my life, I never realized how involved driving was. It is an awesome responsibility to operating a multi-ton machine, capable of reaching great speeds, with the potential of causing serious damage, with life-altering consequences.

Once I was finally able to sit in the front seat, I began to pay attention to all the factors that come into play: weather, speed, traffic, road conditions, sunlight, construction, etc. While I have never been involved in an accident personally, I have witnessed several fender benders. It amazes me how many people fail to realize how necessary it is to constantly aware of your surroundings, and are not ready to change their driving tactics at a moment’s notice.

One of my initial concerns driving was how to learn to drive in heavy traffic. During my permit phase, I did not have many opportunities to do so. Once the pandemic forced a national shutdown, school went remote, and people stayed off the roads for long periods of time. An unexpected outcome of this was the opportunity for me to gain more valuable driving experience under favorable circumstances. The lack of traffic made it easier to get places on time. Parking lots were never crowded, so there was no need to squeeze into tight places. I had a lot more opportunity to hone the skills that I learned in Driver’s Ed, allowing me to become a much more confident driver.

My Dad bought me a 17 year old Honda Accord, with only 25,000 miles on it. In an effort to contain insurance costs, he switched all 3 cars in the Family to Progressive. He also signed us all up for the Snapshot devices. At first, I was worried that I would get beeped frequently due to hard stops, or fast acceleration. I was wrong. I took it upon myself as a challenge to get the best possible grade with the device in my Accord. After 6 months of driving, I had the best rating in the Family; better than both my Mother and my Father. I was so proud!

This foundation has served me well, as things have returned to more normal. My Driver’s Ed has prepared to expand my horizons. My College search has taken me up and down the East Coast the past few months. I have now experienced driving on major interstates, as well as some parts of the country I have never seen before. I have been very careful to keep my speed in check, as I have witnessed many close calls due to others driving at excessive speeds. I look forward to continue to set a good example for my younger Brother, who has just completed his Driver’s Ed.