Importance of Driver’s Education

Climbing up the colossal stairs, my heart began to flutter with excitement. “Watch your step,” the older gentleman warned behind me. As a mob of gleaming peers walked off the 18-wheeler, my brain wandered to the places of curiosity commonly constructed in young minds. Why is it so tall? Where do you sleep, shower, and eat? Where is the television for Saturday morning cartoons? These were just a few of the questions I asked myself while reaching the top of the semi-truck. The truck driver asked me if I would like to sit in the driver’s seat. Of course, I accepted the offer with no hesitation. My small third grade frame sunk into the leather seat, and only blonde wisps of hair could be seen over the steering wheel. I was captivated but also a bit frightened by the truck’s immense size. As my class walked back to the classroom to proceed with the normal program of career day, I could not stop thinking about the magnitude of the tractor-trailer. After that day, I did not think much about semis until seven years later when I was sixteen.

Gripping on to the safety handles of the car, my mother yelled “stop” about 10 feet from the stop sign– she’s always had a bit of a flair for the dramatic. After a couple of minutes of driving, we made it to the workforce essentials building in which I would attend my driver’s education class. Being naive and only sixteen, I did not see the purpose of the class– “why couldn’t she just teach me how to drive?” I thought. However, within only a couple of minutes of my arrival to the building, my perspective changed drastically. My teacher opened the class with a startling statistic– motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged 13-30. She told my class this information not to scare us from driving, but to warn us of the danger a car entails. From that point forward, I looked at a car as more than a mechanism of travel- if used irresponsibly, it was a deadly weapon to not only myself but everyone around me. A couple days later, workers from the Tennessee Trucking Association came to talk to us about safe driving on the highways and interstate. I learned about the potential consequences of following semis too closely, driving in a semi’s blind spots, and merging onto different lanes without signaling. What really struck me was how limited a trucker’s view is of what is right in front of his or her truck. In fact, if your vehicle were to be right in front of a semi-truck until about twenty feet, a truck driver would likely never see you and not stop if you suddenly stopped. It surprised me just how big of a problem people driving too closely to semis is in the trucking world. The point of view pictures from a semi-truck the association showed us reminded me of when I was younger sitting in the trucker’s seat barely able to see.

My driver’s education class also discussed the dangers of distracted and intoxicated driving. I was shocked to learn that the majority of distracted driving related car crashes, the most common type of crash, are caused by teenagers and young adults. Now as I move into adulthood, the education I received from my driver’s education class is implemented into my everyday driving routine. The very first thing I do before even starting my vehicle is buckling up my seatbelt. I never check my phone while driving, and if I need directions somewhere, I will put the directions into my GPS before beginning my route, in order to avoid distracted driving. Unfortunately, in today’s technological crazed age, many drivers risk their lives by using their phones while driving. I believe with the use of voice-activated smartphones– ones that can convert your voice to text– texting while driving has become less of a threat. However, the effects of texting and driving are still very much present in 2021 and will likely continue to steal lives if a change is not made. This is why I believe schools and public areas should encourage driver education. Driver education is necessary in preventing accidents and death because it relays the hardcore facts of irresponsible driving and ways to prevent crashes, which is why driving education needs to be mandatory for teens and young adults. If people were more educated on the risks of driving, they would likely not only be safer drivers, but more responsible citizens.

Along with implementing safe driving habits, such as buckling up and avoiding my phone while driving, I am a “defensive” driver while on the roads. This means I am always on the lookout for irresponsible drivers and commute cautiously at all times. To help me remain cautious, I try not to play music or other sound devices loudly while driving, as that can lead to distracted driving. I believe if people implemented these same habits, deaths related to vehicle accidents would reduce significantly. In order to help others be safer on the road, I encourage responsible driving and do not text people while I know they are operating a vehicle. I also will not speed, as this may encourage other drivers to speed, increasing their chances of an accident.

When I received my first car, a 2012 blue Mazda, I was absolutely exhilarated. I would no longer have to be dropped off by my parents to school or social gatherings, and I could be in control of where I went and when I commuted there. It wasn’t sparkling new or particularly pleasing to the eyes, but that did not matter. The car was freedom and independence. I wanted to immediately start driving it, but my mother was quite hesitant to release me into the wild of the public roadway, so parking lots were the next best thing. We practiced parking, stopping, signaling, turning in roundabouts, and much more. Soon enough, I was ready to take my driving test. My nerves were at an all-time high the morning of my test. I was more than prepared, yet a flickering doubt burned at the pit of my stomach. Despite this, I aced the test. An enormous sense of relief flooded over me, drowning out my fears. Unfortunately, those same fears would overcome me when a couple months later, my best friend would be hospitalized after a bad car accident. On a particular day in the spring of my junior year in high school, I scrolled through my phone, dropping it when I saw a Facebook post of my friend in the hospital. Panic raced through my heart, and I began to feel uneasy. I soon learned that the day before the post, she had been in a car with a bunch of other teens, blasting loud music, while speeding through winding country roads. My memories of the startling statistics and videos shown to me in drivers ed. rushed back to my mind. I thanked god every day that she was still here, and unlike so many other teens, she was the lucky few to escape a life changing injury, or worse, death. To this day, she still tells me of the hair-raising seconds in which the car flipped over into a ditch, and the glass windows crashed onto her. After this incident, not only did she decide to be a safer driver, but I too decided to never let my guard down while driving and to always follow the driving laws. This experience along with my driver’s education, has left a positive impact on my safe driving habits, which I plan to continue into adulthood.