The Importance of Drivers Ed

Brooke Ritchie

Drivers ed Scholarship

31 March 2020

The Importance of Drivers ed

The big 16! One of the most exciting moments in a young teenager’s
life is turning sixteen and getting your driver’s license. As the
youngest of three siblings, I know first hand of that temptation and
longing to get onto the open road. Luckily, while I was still
learning the ways of the road, my parents enrolled me in a highly
intensive drivers safety class. Being in this class taught me how to
be a safer and more defensive driver and I am very thankful for the
opportunity. I was able to go through months of training and lessons
to better my confidence and skills on the road. I have seen too many
news stories of families being involved in deadly car crashes and it
breaks my heart. Unfortunately, on my way to a volleyball tournament
in Las Vegas where thousands of families from across the country
travel to attend, two volleyball players and their mothers were
involved in a deadly collision on the highway. Hearing this
unsettling news brought tears to my eyes and made me think of my own
choices while driving. It is time to make a change on how American
teenagers learn how to drive in order to keep our friends and
families safe. Too often teenagers get distracted by their cell
phones or other passengers in the car and it creates a dangerous
environment. I know first hand what this is like and it is
terrifying. In order to keep everyone on the road safe, we need to
make it a priority to always be fully attentive to the road ahead of
you and to follow all of the rules of the road. Now, some might argue
that the reason people drive unsafely is because they never had the
proper education of being behind the wheel. I believe this is true,
and adding an ‘educational drivers ed’ course to the list of
requirements in order to get your license will dramatically decrease
the number of accidents and deaths caused by driving. Most driving
schools and classes target being a defensive driver. This involves
leaving a safe following cushion behind the person driving in front
of you and enhancing judgements on when you should turn or merge into
oncoming traffic. These two things are very crucial elements of
staying safe, and perfecting this skill allows for a safer drive.
Driver safety is a serious issue not only in America but across the
world and I hope we can make a change to better protect the lives of
everyone out on the road.