In The Driver’s Seat

The freedom I felt driving to go pick up dinner with my cousin was cut short. This time, I was in the passenger seat and it happened as I was learning to drive. He was distracted for a few seconds and when we looked up, traffic had stopped and we crashed into the car in front of us. The jeep we were in immediately caught fire. We escaped safely and the other passengers were uninjured. I realized that night the responsibility I had when I had the opportunity to be “in the driver’s seat”.

Driver’s education is critical in helping new drivers learn the risks that come with driving irresponsibly as well as providing drivers an opportunity to learn skills that keep us all safe on the road. There are so many laws associated with driving. My experience with friends has been people quickly learning the rules of the road to pass the test for their learner’s permit. People can sometimes cram for tests and pass, but it does not mean the information has been reinforced, learned, understood, or will be retained afterwards. Driver’s education is an opportunity for the driver to do exactly that. They hear about the rules, understand the purpose behind them and it reinforces the information to ensure it is retained. Knowing the information is key in keeping new drivers safe but also in keeping those safe around the new driver.

By completing driver’s education and having a better understanding of the rules of the road is important but the challenge becomes in how new drivers are encouraged to follow these rules. In my experience, young people often have a belief that they are invincible. My best friend Isaac felt invincible as he sped through the backroads near my house. He was traveling over 70 miles per hour when he hit a speed bump. Isaac lost control and crashed into a cement wall. Somehow, he walked away uninjured, but his perspective changed. He realized that many in similar situations don’t walk away. The goal is to give people the perspective that Isaac had that day or the perspective I gained after my accident with my cousin, without having to experience the accident for themselves. The statistics show us that too many each year do not walk away from these types of experiences. The most impactful part of driver’s education I have heard about is when people see what happens when people act irresponsibly. My Mom had driver’s education as part of her high school courses and she said they showed accidents and the aftermath of accidents from various scenarios. She still remembers those images to this day. I believe this can make it real for young driver’s.

I wish I could say that I have not seen people driving irresponsibly. That is not the case. I have seen friends and family members speeding, texting while driving, distracted for numerous reasons and running red lights and stop signs. Each of these situations could have ended in disaster. Thankfully, they have not and I have thought about what I could do to help myself and others be safer on the road.

The significant learning I have had on driving safe and encouraging to others to drive safe seems simple but it really comes down to being willing to speak up and take responsibility. Holding people accountable around you is not mean, it is the most caring thing you can do. Since my own experiences, I have been able to stand up and tell people I am riding with to slow down or wait till we stop to text. Sometimes, I have taken the phone from them and told them I would text on their behalf. I learned about accountability from my parents. They used the app Life360 when I was first driving so they could see how fast I was driving. Although this felt intrusive at first, it opened my eyes to times I was speeding when I was not even aware of it. It made me pay attention and in turn helped to keep me safe.

My desire is to be a good driver and a good passenger. I believe that we should be teaching young people to take responsibility and feel empowered to speak up. They need to understand that their life and the life of their friends and family are depended upon it. Driver’s education is the perfect forum for these conversations to take place. With small changes, we can all be safer on the road!