
Name: Juan Carlos Moran Hernandez
From: Los Angeles, California
Votes: 0
In A Rush.
The importance of education in our daily lives is essential in providing service with excellence and responsibility, and driving is no exception. I come from a country where getting a driver’s license is a breeze due to authorities not caring about your driving skills and more on how much money you are willing to spend to obtain the license. I have seen the disastrous consequences of these actions and driving next to those individuals with no idea of how to drive with care and responsibility is a constant danger for both drivers. Driver education should be a must as it includes not only the practice which enables us to become comfortable on the road but also the theory which is essential in our daily commute because driving without knowing the rules that must be followed or what a sign means is an extremely dangerous action. Driver education makes a driver more comfortable on the road but also makes the individual and passengers safe.
The number of deaths related to driving is constantly increasing with no surprise. People are taking their driving tests with only the skill of regurgitating the information but not putting it into practice, and this combined with young or elder drivers become a deadly weapon for the community. To decrease the number of deaths related to driving, low-cost driving courses should be required before getting a driver’s license so the new driver puts all the theory they know into practice and get exposure to what evasive moves can be used to prevent an accident. Today, there are various driving courses available, but most cost a significant amount of money which is not available for the lower-class population, which is an additional factor in why accidents occur. Additionally, various accidents occur due to distractions, mostly from cell phones in this new era, which is why police enforcement should be stricter on drivers who are seen texting and driving, which I have seen as constantly ignored and not punished by their dangerous actions.
Fortunately, experiences make people learn more efficiently, but sometimes these can be too harsh and can impact someone’s life. I have unfortunately experienced a car accident in the past where the other driver did not know what to do in uncontrolled four-way intersections and ran a stop sign and crashed the car I was in. The woman was confused and had to find out that every car must stop in this situation, which served her to learn for future driving, but the bad experience and fear of driving grew from that moment. Driving is a valuable tool, but it must be handled with care and responsibility as it can become a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. Apart from this experience, I know family members that have driven irresponsibly by drinking and driving, but I have made sure that this does not happen again. I let them know about all the risks and share my past experiences with drunk individuals and irresponsible drivers and how their actions can impact our community.
Driving is not something that should be taken with ease. It is a wonderful tool that allows us to explore our surroundings and meet our loved ones that are far from home, but action must be taken so that we are all aware of how the lives of those around us depend on us each time we take the wheel. I have tried to become a better driver by taking a driving course and eliminating distractions such as loud music, putting my phone away, and being aware of all the traffic signs and car maneuvers other drivers make. I plan on recommending driving courses to my family members and be active in reporting any irresponsible driver I see on the streets as the life of someone on the road could depend on that report.
The time when people are more willing to learn and start their driving journey is in the teen years, more specifically in high school. Due to this, I propose campaigns be made and spread in different high schools so that teenagers learn about safe driving even before they take the wheel. Sometimes there is the impulse of accelerating and race in the streets, but numbers are always the best evidence to present, so showing the statistics of the deadly irresponsible driving and videos of testimonies about people who were involved in accidents and ended up in jail or hospital can shape the way teenagers and even adults see driving and be more aware of what they do out in the roads.