The importance of Drivers ed

Brianne
Ware

2020
Drivers ed Essay Contest

March
26, 2020

The
importance of drivers ed

Every
day you get into a vehicle, your life is at risk. The average person
spends 12 years in school, getting an education in different subjects
such as math, English, science, history, and more to apply to
everyday life. However, most teenagers spend around 6 to 12 months
practicing driving. Although driving can be dangerous, it is a form
of freedom for most teenagers. With that being said, it is also
imperative to be taught and tested on the many variables that go into
becoming a safe driver.

From
personal experience, drivers ed is beneficial in so many ways.
Not only do they teach you everything you need to know about driving,
but you also get to practice driving a vehicle with a professional
teacher who is prepared for beginner drivers. My older sister did not
take a drivers ed course and instead relied on my parents to
teach her how to drive. Sitting in the backseat watching this happen,
was not a pretty sight. My mom was clenching onto the window and seat
as she had no control of the car. She would teach as my sister was
driving and would yell when she did something wrong because she was
terrified. After watching that horrible experience, I took a driver
education class in high school, where I was taught in a classroom
before getting behind the wheel and learned everything I needed to
know before operating a vehicle. After I watched different videos and
scenarios of safe and unsafe driving, I began to realize the
responsibility that comes with driving a car. I then took a test to
prove I knew all of the road laws and rules of driving. Once I
completed this, I got into the driver’s seat of a learner’s vehicle
sweating and shaking. My driving instructor calmed me down and made
sure I was comfortable and covered all of the essential steps before
easing me into a slow speed in the parking lot. No yelling, no
grasping for something to hold on to, just a calm voice telling me
what to do and how to improve my skills. The structure and experience
that was provided through this class gave me lifelong skills to be a
safe driver.

According
to a University of Nebraska Lincoln study, “Young drivers who
have not completed drivers ed are 75% more likely to get a
traffic ticket or be involved in an accident.” An Oregon AAA
study found that teenage drivers who took drivers ed classes
had increased knowledge about graduating driving laws and safe
practices compared to drivers who hadn’t taken such courses. Nearly
1.25 million people die in road crashes each year, and more than half
of the deaths occur among young adults. Taking a class that is
explicitly dedicated to educating drivers and practice safe driving,
should be a required course, as it could significantly reduce those
numbers!

I
have never gotten into an accident while driving. However, I have
been backed into while my vehicle was parked in a parking lot! I was
waiting for friends to meet me at a restaurant for breakfast and had
parked in the shop parking lot next door because the restaurant
parking was all full. I looked for a sign to see if I was allowed to
park there even though I was not going to enter that specific shop.
There was nothing that indicated I couldn’t park there, so I did. I
then put the car in park and turned the vehicle off. I texted my
parents that I arrived so they would know I made it safe and then
texted my friends to see if they wanted me to secure a table because
I was early. As I was sitting in my car texting my friends, a small
orange SUV pulls straight up to the shop’s front door, not in a
parking spot. Someone got out of the car and entered the shops and
quickly came back to their vehicle. Then, they went to pull out and
backed right into me! I was so shocked I didn’t even process what had
happened before I texted my friends never mind, someone just backed
into me. When I got out of the car to talk to the women driving, she
was mad at me even though I had been parked and sitting there ever
since she pulled in. She was the owner of the shop and told me that
the shop was closed that day, so she didn’t expect anyone to be
there. The driver never looked in her mirrors or turned around before
backing out! She, “didn’t expect” anyone to be there so she
didn’t look. One thing I have learned in drivers ed is to
always be aware of your surroundings and double or triple check
before moving a vehicle. If the lady who hit me were paying
attention, she would have seen my car parked where it was on her way
into the parking lot and known it was there. In addition to this, she
should have checked the area on her way back to her car and once
again, when she was in the car! This incident showed me how important
it always is to check your surroundings and double-check everything
before driving to make calculated actions.

There
are so many ways you can become a better driver and help others
become safer on the road as well. Eliminating all distractions helps
you focus on everything you need to be paying attention to while
driving. Keeping a safe distance from other cars is also important to
give you time and space to react if anything were to happen. Another
important thing to check before driving is if you are well-rested and
alert. This seems like an obvious statement; however, many people
drive when they are tired and don’t realize the impact that it has.
Your reaction time gets slower, you may zone out or actually fall
asleep, you have a lack of concentration, and can make many errors
when driving. This not only affects you, but it also affects every
other driver who is on the road with you. Overall, taking a driver
education class will teach you all of the ways you can become a
better driver and become safer out on the roads!