Importance of driver education

Driver education isn’t just a class you take, it’s teaching the ones who are learning and the current drivers on the skills and habits to be a responsible driver. The importance of these classes is to inform drivers so they can keep themselves as well as others around them safe. Information is power, so having the knowledge to deal with or stay out of dangerous situations can benefit everyone. It’s best to learn how to stay out of potentially deadly situations as much as you can instead of learning how to deal with the consequences once it occurs, not only for the driver’s benefit, but also the passengers and pedestrians. To reduce the number of deaths due to vehicular accidents the most important thing a person can do is to not be distracted. The most common distraction is the use of an electronic device while driving, like phones, smart watches or any devices that can grab the user’s attention with notifications. But electronics aren’t the only distractions. It can vary for different people, but conversations with passengers, music, or other activities done while driving can be dangerous, especially anything that requires focusing on something visual. Other steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths is to always keep up with car maintenance and to take a quick stop or not go behind the wheel at all if you feel like you’re in a state where you can’t focus, whether it’s due to alcohol, drugs, emotions, health issues or other reasons. Despite the dangers most people are warned of, I’ve seen people driving irresponsibly, from only using one hand on the wheel to checking their phone while on the road. There’s also incidents where people I know personally have gotten one or two tickets before in their life for reasons like not stopping at a stop sign. The most severe accident I’ve witnessed was a car passing a red light and crashing into the front left side of another car that was turning. No one seemed hurt since both cars eventually drove off, but the fact that it happened a few meters in front of the car I was in is terrifying to think about. I’ve never witnessed or experienced anything more severe than that, but I remember hearing about a tragic car crash. There was a driver and two passengers who were friends, the driver was drunk which caused him to crash. The driver was said to have immediately died while one of the passengers had their legs paralyzed and the other a broken leg. It is somewhat terrifying to realize that even if you’re a responsible driver, you could be put into a situation where you have no control due to someone else’s carelessness. Driving can be dangerous, not only do you have to take actions to be safe, you have to pay attention to others as well. And even then other factors like a malfunction in the car or other things that are not a direct result of someone’s actions can also cause accidents. But driving has become a huge part of transportation and a necessity to a lot of people, allowing us a larger range of destinations we can visit. Driving can never be a hundred percent safe, but it’s needed, therefore staying more alert and cautious has become a necessity for drivers. Driving seems to be becoming more prominent in transportation, so it becomes more necessary to spread awareness for safety rules and other steps to keep yourself and others safe on the road. Other than the more common knowledge of no distractions, one step that can be taken is learning the basics for car management. The vehicle won’t stay in great condition forever, there’s often something broken that can be found during a car inspection. And outside of inspections, people should be taught about oil levels, tire wear, tire pressure and even the paperwork to keep everyone up to standards. Another step you can take to be a safer driver is learning what to do in certain driving scenarios. Hopefully the drivers never end up in some scenarios, but it’s good to know what to do if, for example, your car starts slipping on ice and you’re about to crash so you can be better prepared in case it happens. Also it’s good to keep a first aid kit in the car in case someone or yourself becomes injured. When educated on driving knowledge and becoming aware, as a driver you can help everyone around you continue with their everyday lives.