The Importance of Teen Driving Education

Anthony
Alexandrov

2/7/20

Driver
Education Initiative Essay Contest

Driving
is something that many teens look forward to getting the privilege to
do. Who doesn’t like the freedom to get in a car with friends and
drive to wherever your heart desires? Driving is a way to express the
feeling of having endless possibilities to have an endless amount of
fun. But, as the old saying goes, with great power comes great
responsibility. Drivers ed is one of the most important skills
that a young driver learns and sets up a solid foundation for young
adults. By having drivers ed, it allows young adults to learn
the importance of keeping everyone on the road safe and most
importantly themselves safe. By having requirements such as 6 hours
of driving, a permit, a probationary license, and finally the basic
driver’s license, it allows teens to really get a feel for the huge
responsibility that operating a car has. Drivers ed sets up the
solid foundation for an exceptional driver, and without driver
education, highway crashes and deaths would skyrocket. A class alone
is not enough, however, to reduce the number of deaths on the roads.
Teens need to understand that not every situation that is written in
the driver’s manual is the exact same situation that would happen
in the real world. One of the big factors of teen deaths when driving
is the use of technology, particularly smartphones. Companies have
taken initiatives to combat the heavy use of smartphones on the road.
Services such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HandsFreeLink from
Honda are all ways that car companies are eliminating the need to use
a smartphone and be distracted. However, the habits we set for
ourselves early on carry onto our later parts of our lives. Some of
the potential steps that can be taken could include enabling do not
disturb mode when driving, making sure to text close ones that you
will be driving and for them to not text you, and most importantly
keeping technology out of sight and reach. By combining these steps
with already existing precautions taken by automotive companies, the
risk of getting into a fatal car crash significantly decreases. My
main motive for writing this essay is not for getting money … It is
to tell my story and change the way we view teen driving. Back when I
was 16, all of my friends and I were receiving our permits. It was an
exhilarating time since we could finally drive our parent’s cars
and act like we were Vin Diesel from Fast and Furious. However, one
night one of my friends got into an accident that has forever scarred
myself and my friend group. I received a call from my friend’s
parents at 11pm and from the shaky tone of their voice, I quickly
realized that something wasn’t right. I understood that my friend
Mark got into a car accident that caused his car to flip over 4 times
and land upside down. I could never imagine how scared he was and
luckily he walked away with minor injuries and scratches, but one
thing stood out to me. He admitted that he was using his phone and
didn’t recognize the sharp turn that was coming ahead. The
countless hours in class of repeating that smartphones should never
be used on the roads was now starting to come back. For a year, Mark
was not allowed to drive any car and he always looks back to his
accident as a way to tell other people that a simple text can wait,
and that life is always more important than replying to a meme. Since
then, my perspective on driving has forever changed and whenever I
need to use my phone, I always make sure that I am parking somewhere
safe and know that nothing bad could happen to me in the car. A life
is much more important than anything a smartphone could be, and many
people fail to recognize this. By having a better driving education,
teen drivers can be a lot more educated and make sure the same thing
doesn’t happen like Mark’s situation. Some steps to be a better
driver is to of course not use your smartphone. Remember, your life
should be put ahead of a text message from your friend. Additionally,
telling your close friends when you leave and arrive could be a good
way to keep your friends alert and know where you are. By educating
and teaching our youth the importance of being safe on the road, we
can all come together and make the road a safe place for people of
all ages.