The Necessity for Driver’s Education

Tens of thousands of deaths are caused by car accidents every year in the United States. That isn’t the only price paid on the roads. Numerous physical and mental injuries occur. Some permanently affecting a person’s wellbeing for the rest of their life. The main problems leading to these horrific accidents and sad injuries include drunk driving, texting while driving, lack of experience, anxiety and sadly, lack of responsibility. It is so sad how many people of our culture seem to care so little for the safety of others around them that they act as recklessly as they do on the roads. Accidents can be caused simply by someone not turning on their blinker or suddenly slamming on their brakes.

I believe drivers education should be an essential part of schooling. After all, we all will be on the roads driving cars alongside each other. Driving is involved in a large portion of life. We drive to work, school, church, the store or just to take a joy trip with our friends. When someone wields a massive amount of power without knowing the precautions they should take, things can get messy really quick. We are all required to take subjects like math and science despite the possibility of us not using that knowledge in the future. The vast majority of us will be driving cars, no questions asked. So, shouldn’t it be mandatory to be educated on this topic as well?

I have never been in a car accident but I am close to those who have, and I also know people that have witnessed terrible accidents. They are extremely traumatic events. Not just for the poor victims in the cars, but also for the onlookers who can do nothing but watch. This can produce scarring memories for friends and family who can do nothing to assist. With driving being an essential part of our everyday lives, shouldn’t we take more time to educate people to treat driving as a privilege, that is well earned and not as a right given to them?

I have known very irresponsible teens and young adults who total car after car and suffer no repercussions; They are just given a new car. If there are no repercussions to their irresponsibility these unaccountable people will keep making the same mistakes over and over again. And this affects one’s wallet in more than one way. After a terrible accident a person would not only have to purchase a new vehicle but they are now paying higher costs in insurance. Which in most cases I believe is an appropriate consequence to have. It is unfortunate that so many people now-a-days lack the realization of how their driving impacts a great many people around them.

Thankfully, technology has come a long way towards safety while driving. Such as cars requiring you to park before being able to pair with Bluetooth, or even phones having the do not disturb setting on while driving. These are good safety measures to have in place, but unfortunately these measures do not stop most people from paying more attention to their phone than the road that they are driving on.

I think there probably should be harsher punishments for people on their phones while driving. Phones should just be set aside while being behind the wheel. Warning signs on the side of the road I think do nothing to keep us from using cellular devices. Other than phones being a major safety hazard while being on the road, alcohol is another major problem. Young people especially can be so irresponsible and careless; partying all the time, smuggling alcohol here and there. We need to somehow make alcohol less accessible to those who are underage to protect them from themselves while protecting those around them as well. For those who are of age to drink, maybe bars shouldn’t have parking lots for the public. Perhaps just be a bus stop. At least that would help ensure less people are driving home intoxicated and are taking a bus or an uber ride instead.

Now, we do still have decent drivers on the roads. Not all decent drivers are always paying attention to all of their surroundings though. One thing missed by lots of drivers are motorcyclists. They are hard to notice by being so fast and small. If someone isn’t paying close enough attention, an accident can easily happen. People need to embrace being aware of their surroundings, not just the speed limit, or if the light is red or green but also aware of the little guy driving close by.

There will always be danger on the roads. Cars are dangerous, heavy pieces of matter moving at great speeds and should be driven with caution at all times. People shouldn’t be so careless; it is necessary to teach this in our schools and continue to remind people of the dangers and the responsibility they have to protect themselves and others near them.