Life changes for drivers

The importance of being an educated driver makes an enormous difference in the student’s ability to drive and be safe. For many people, the reducing the death of drivers comes from more education and the life experience they have at driving. This is why when a teen who has learned to drive, reaches 5 years of driving their insurance rates drop so much because they have done the learning. For many states there are also many reduced rates for those that do the behind the wheel training. The experience is proven and the person has learned a lot more from driving with those with experience. There are major differences between the dry hot roads, to the snow and the ice that Pennsylvania has to offer these differences are all things that the student needs to learn to do. The same as you have to do so many hours of practice to learn an instrument the same applies to the world of driving. The weather is different many times in the year and this creates new environments to drive in; therefore, we have to learn the differences and how to adjust. Some people will need a refresher course at times when they have been riding and not driving for years. For some they slide around every time the first snow comes.

Another significant difference that can come from the behind the wheel experience is that the instructor, that the student is learning from has had every type of issue that the child can face. By having a road experienced person explain things to the student this makes it more realistic. The behind the wheel person many times gives real examples and this for the student can be a great difference. The students that do not do the behind the wheel classes many times go through destroying many different cars and trucks that they have hopefully no people are hurt in the accidents in the process.

The part of the driving experience that needs changed is if the student waits till they are over 20 years old to get their license that should not limit the time spent with others in the car teaching them. This age difference does not prove they are capable of doing the driving that comes with experience. This needs to be done for the driver regardless of their age. If a person had a medical condition and was suddenly able to drive again, they would have to have the practice and so should those that wait for the age change. This will make the public safer. Also, there is need for a way to make the cell phones have an automatic off when the car is turned on. The phones are not good for the kids and it is not good for the driver to be messing with either. Like the belt hooking law this would make the real world happen again. These children are not about to see what is going on around them. They are missing out on the real world.

As a driver I was hit in the rear of my SUV. The young driver did not have the experience of turning around to look where she was driving. I saw her coming and I shifted to pull my car away of the impact or the outcome in my SUV would have been worse. She hit my car in the back, the accident hurt her car and not mine. She was flipping out because her parents would be mad. I said to her the positive is everyone is okay, no one was hurt. Once she had calmed, I asked her what she had learned from this accident. She decided that she needs to turn around when she is backing up and not be talking to the other people in the car with her. She learned from this experience. She had to pay off the dent in her car but she had learned something that in years to come she would benefit from.

For me I am being careful to not be to close to other drivers and allow more time to get places. The stress of being late is not worth the reduction of the safety of the drive. This allows me to not be edgy and driving really faster than I should be. This also keeps the anger in check. Many times, if I am not in a hurry and someone pulls up at the intersection when I do I motion them to go ahead. There is no reason to be in the massive hurry that life has become. I have learned to stop and smell the roses in life. I have come to appreciate the chance to be driving again. I spent 15 years fighting epilepsy and I was not able to drive all those years. I was always waiting for the ride. I was constantly having to ask others for help. In this time, it gave me a whole different perspective of life. To enjoy the little things in life and celebrate the things that you can do. I had brain surgery that stopped the seizures and have now been back to driving for the last 5 years. I just got a letter in the mail to go renew my drivers license by January.

This has been an amazing journey and I am excited to see what is next. I have the desire to be a counselor and I want to help my clients learn be the safe drivers on the road. I want to offer them the chance to see there are better ways to drive and not harm others. To be the safe drivers that see the situation and gives them time to react. Most people react at the last moment my hope is to make them realize there is a better way. I will also be helping them to deal with the anger that they express and do it in a healthy way.