Drive Safely Daily

Driver’s education is a program almost every person in the United States has experienced at least once in their life. For many, the process of learning the meaning behind every sign on the road and symbol that could pop up on the dash is accompanied by yawns and sleepy eyes. I remember during my own driver’s education experience, I had one classmate who fell asleep every day of the week-long class. Each day this kid would take an empty chair and place it next to their own chair, until by the end of the class they had made a bed out of the empty chairs which they could fully lay down and sleep on. While this is an extreme case of driver’s ed students being bored in class, many other students also feel the pull of closing their eyes during the lesson and do not push against it. Although the short nap may feel refreshing at the moment, in the long run it would do much more good to have an energy drink beforehand and power through the lesson.

The simple reason that driver’s education helps to reduce deaths on the road is that it allows future driver’s to gain the knowledge they need for the road. If a driver is never taught what the yield sign means, they are not likely to yield when they see one. If a driver never learns what PRNDL stands for, they could very well reverse when they mean to drive and drive when they mean to reverse. I think of a classmate who once explained how he failed his written driver’s test because he thought a yellow light meant “To speed up” instead of “To slow down.” Luckily, he was able to learn the real meaning behind the yellow light. However, what if he had somehow fallen through the cracks and was never corrected? It is not hard to imagine the catastrophe that would occur, as well as many other situations where knowledge from driver’s education would be vital for being a safe driver.

To reduce the number of driving-related deaths, attending driver’s education is definitely one step that can be taken in doing so. There are also many other steps that can be taken in day-to-day life, many of which are taught in driver’s ed. For one, it is important to always wear a seat belt while driving and to make sure everyone else in the car also has their seat belt. As well, it is best to limit any distraction from within the car. The road is constantly changing, so looking away for even one second could have a disastrous ending. It is also important to never get behind the wheel while inebriated. Many people believe that having just a little bit of alcohol will not affect them that much and they are fine to drive, but even having one drink of alcohol can make someone less aware and cause an accident. It is best to drive only when one is completely sober, or ask another person who is sober to drive instead.

I have a family member who has gotten arrested because of drinking and driving. I was very young when they were arrested, but I remember how they had to wear an ankle monitor and had a breathalyzer attached to their car so the car could only be started if they were sober. From witnessing this I have vowed to never get behind the wheel drunk, and in fact never want to drink at all. Thankfully, my family member is now completely sober and has not had a drunk driving incident since they were arrested.

Personally, something I can do to be a better and safer driver is to limit distractions within the car. Something I have noticed I do while driving alone is that I will talk to myself. Because of this I often stop paying as much attention to how fast I am going and will start going over the speed limit. Thankfully, I have not gotten pulled over for speeding or gotten into an accident. Yet. But just because I have not had any consequences for talking to myself while driving does not mean it will never happen. It only takes one time for me to get a ticket, or even worse. I am working on not talking to myself while driving, both for my own safety and for the safety of others on the road. I also try to help others to be better drivers whenever I can. For example, if I am in the passenger’s seat I will help the driver cross a lane by looking to see if there are any cars coming towards us. Also, if the driver needs to call someone, I will call the person so the driver does not have to lose focus. There are many different ways people can help themselves become better drivers, as long as they are willing to recognize what they can improve on and work to better themselves.

Driver’s education is essential to making people safer and better drivers. If it was not for driver’s education, many people would not know the basic rules of the road. Along with having a proper driver’s education, there are also many other steps people can take to become safer drivers, such as limiting distractions, always wearing seat belts, and not drinking before driving. Personally, I could become a better driver by not talking to myself while driving, as this often causes me to stop paying attention to the speed limit. Because of driver’s education, I understand how dangerous this habit is for both me and other drivers on the road and am working to overcome it. For many other driver’s as well, driver’s education gave them a basic understanding of how to drive, and is continuing to help them be safe drivers in their everyday driving.