The Importance of Driver’s Education

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, more than 38,000 people die every year in the United States as a result of driving. This startlingly high number for one year of driving related deaths is higher than the number of casualties for American soldiers in recent wars. This fact highlights the importance of safe driving and being an educated driver.

Taking a driver’s education course can teach new drivers the importance of safe driving and safe driving practices. Many people, especially new drivers, are not aware of the high number of deaths from driving related incidents. This is something that should be addressed in a driver’s education course so that new drivers are well aware of the consequences of negligent driving. Learning these consequences early on could help reduce the number of deaths from driving. New drivers will be taught safe driving practices in their driver’s education course and will then know what practices to put in place when they drive. Additionally, it is also helpful for new drivers to know the signs of negligent driving, which would be taught in a driver’s education course. They would then be able recognize these signs in other drivers while on the road. Recognizing signs of negligent driving would allow drivers to take preventative measures to avoid an accident, like increasing following distance between themselves and the negligent driver. Not having a driver’s education course would not allow new drivers to learn the consequences of negligence while driving or safe driving practices. New drivers would have to rely on the person teaching them to drive to teach them these things. For example, my parents made sure I was aware of the consequences of driving erratically, however, some parents are erratic drivers themselves and may not think to teach their children about the consequences of driving this way. Taking a driver’s education course would ensure new drivers know the benefits of safe driving and the consequences of negligence, which could help reduce the number of driving related deaths.

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One step is to allow a good following distance while driving. Driving right behind another car could lead to an accident if the driver in front of you suddenly stops. Allowing a large following distance gives you time to brake in the driver in front of you has to stop suddenly. Having enough time to react to changes in other drivers’ speed is an easy way to help reduce the number of driving related deaths. Another step is to be alert while driving. Many accidents are caused from drivers not paying attention to their surroundings. Being alert will help reduce these accidents. Alertness can just be paying attention to other drivers, or it can be not driving while tired or distracted. In today’s world, cell phones can be very distracting while driving. Silencing cell phones and ignoring any notifications can increase your alertness while driving and thus reduce accidents from distracted driving. Additionally, being tired can affect your alertness, so taking measures to ensure you are not tired while driving will also increase alertness and reduce accidents. Alertness while driving gives you time to react if there are erratic drivers or an animal runs across the road.

Fortunately, I have never been in an accident. I have however popped a few tires by taking turns too quickly and hitting a sharp curb. I have learned to slow down and take wider turns from these experiences. For the most part, my parents are responsible drivers. Occasionally my dad will drive to close to cars in front of us, and my mom is good at reminding him to slow down and allow more distance between us and the other cars. One of my friends was in a minor accident recently, though it was not due to her driving irresponsibly. She stopped at a red light to check if it was clear for her to turn right, and the car behind her didn’t realize she had stopped and hit her. Luckily, no one was injured and the damage to the car was minor. This experience illustrates what can happen if you do not pay attention to your surroundings while driving.

To be a better and safer driver, I read through the driver’s manual for my state before I started learning how to drive. I made sure I was familiar with the rules of the road so that I could drive safely. I also took an online driver’s education course before getting my full driver’s license. I learned about safe driving practice and was able to use them on the road. It is very important that all drivers know how to drive safely and know the rules of the road, so I believe it would be very beneficial for all new drivers to take a driver’s education course. It would also be beneficial for experienced drivers to take another driver’s education course later, if they are able to, in order to refresh their memory on safe driving. Doing these things can help reduce the number of deaths from driving and make the roads safer overall.