I’m a Terrible Driver

It took me about three minutes and eighteen seconds to pass my permit exam which is the written portion of the driver’s test. In the state of Pennsylvania, drivers begin to earn driving privileges the day they turn sixteen. You are eligible to go to your local DMV and take the permit test, which consists of a series of questions from a question bank that relate to traffic laws and signs. After you pass the written exam, you have six months to practice driving. However, their requirement as to what practice means is not very detailed and requires no proof other than a parental statement. I believe the most prominent reason why there are so many deaths as a result of driving is due to the lack of experience new drivers have when they get their licenses. The number of deaths related to driving can drastically decrease with better driving education and guidelines for acquiring a license.

With a more structured approach to driving education, we can decrease the number of road accidents. For starters, passing the permit test is way too easy and requires no actual knowledge of the law or traffic signs. In PA, the permit test app has all the questions that could be asked when taking the actual test. Therefore, it is easy to memorize the questions from the question bank without having any actual knowledge of what they entail. I mean, it took me three minutes to pass the test. Do you think I thoroughly read each of the eighteen questions and fully understood what they meant? This quiz is the only test required to get behind the wheel and operate a car. There should be a more engaging approach to learning the driving basics and the rules of the road before being able to drive. With this approach, new drivers can be made more aware of what traffic signs mean, what you can and can’t do, where and when you can turn right on red, as well as gain tips and insights on what safe driving means. Additionally, new drivers should be encouraged to take part in driving school. With current regulations, permit-holders are required to drive a certain amount of hours, and the only proof that such requirements were met before taking the driving test is a parent’s signature. Every parent drives differently, right? For example, My dad told me to always go the speed limit, but my friend’s dad told her to go the speed of the road. Therefore, every new driver has a different idea of what “good” driving entails. If new drivers were required to take driving school classes, it would standardize the idea of what good driving is, as well as provide professional guidance instead of parental advice.

Bringing awareness to reckless driving is an additional way road accidents can be decreased, especially when it comes to teenagers and distracted driving. Distracted driving is a serious problem. However, almost everyone has been guilty of doing it at some point (myself included). Distracted driving is as simple as doing anything else rather than driving. It can be something as simple as switching songs or taking a bite to eat while behind the wheel. As a driver, your only priority behind the wheel is to drive; everything else can be put on hold. Moreover, not following traffic signs properly is a contributing factor to reckless driving. I get it, speeding gets you to places quicker, but the speed limit is there for a reason. It is the maximum speed at which the road is safe to drive. Yellow lights mean slow down, not speed up and try to make it through before the light turns red. Stop signs are there to come to a complete stop, carefully look at your surroundings, and then continue on your way. It is not okay to slowly decelerate your vehicle and roll through the stop sign. The traffic signs are there for a reason. It is not to make you late or ruin your day. They have been strategically placed by licensed individuals with the ultimate goal of road safety in mind. Luckily, I’ve been careful enough on the road and have never been involved in a car crash. However, I have been in the car with friends or family that were driving irresponsibly. If you ever find yourself in that situation it is important to let the driver know that the task at hand is driving and that your life is in their hands.

Small steps can be taken to make our roads a safer place. It can be as little as creating assemblies for student drivers to bring more awareness to reckless driving. A bigger step that can be made is to attack the problem from the starting point and uproot the entire driving test system altogether. With a better approach to driving education, we can prevent unsafe drivers from even making it behind the wheel, and ensure that every person operating a motor vehicle has the proper training they require.