Drivers ed and the Importance of Being Mindful

Merry
Castle

2020
Drivers ed Essay Contest

Driver
Education and the Importance of Being Mindful

Driver
education is extremely important in reducing the number of deaths
that result from driving. Drivers ed courses promote safety on
the road by detailing what you should and should not do while
driving. When people learn to obey the rules of the road, understand
the meaning of road signs, and educate themselves through hands-on
experience of driving a car in a safe and controlled environment. By
doing this, there are less deaths related to driving cars because
people are more equipped to drive safely and perform evasive
maneuvers when a potential accident could occur.

By
enrolling in a drivers ed course, you already reduce the risk
of accidents and deaths that can result from driving. Some other
steps that can help reduce the risk of accidents and death would
include continually brushing up on the rules of the road even if you
have been driving for many years, by eliminating distractions that
can take your focus off the road, and by evaluating the potential
environmental dangers that could hinder safe driving, such as rain,
snow, ice, or fog.

Finally,
while I have never been in an accident, I know several people that
have been in car accidents that were potentially life threatening. My
friend’s father was in an accident after he started having an
aneurism while he was driving. This caused him to lose control of his
vehicle and cross over the dividing line into oncoming traffic. I
believe that people should make sure to have a plan or some sort of
procedure in place just in case a driver starts to have a medical
emergency while they are driving. This is something that I think
could be helpful to many drivers as a medical emergency is just as
unpredictable as a deer jumping in front of your vehicle or someone
else running a red light.

Personally,
some steps that I can take to be a better and safer driver would be
to be familiar with the laws surrounding driving, to brush up on the
meanings of road signs, to make sure to have hands-on driving
experience for at least 30 minutes every day. Additionally, I would
like to make sure and evaluate my car and my environmental
surroundings before I ever get in my car to drive. By doing this, I
would be able to make sure that I do not put myself in a position in
which I could potentially be in danger. Finally, it is my hope that I
will be able to create a plan for myself in the event of a medical
emergency. Overall, I think being a safe driver comes down to being
educated about what to do while driving and of being mindful of
yourself and others while you are on the road.