Importance of Drivers ed

Kyle Boyce

Importance of Driver
Education

           Car
accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States for
people aged 2 to 34. A recent study by the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln showed that drivers that have not completed the full
drivers ed course are 24 percent more likely to be in an
accident that resulted in injury or death. A similar study by the
American Automobile Association confirmed that drivers ed
courses do reduce the number of accidents teenagers get into, and can
reduce the amount of traffic tickets by up to 40 percent. As a
teenager, I have seen my peers drive dangerously. From my experience,
distracted driving is the most common way teens drive dangerously.
Some of the ways drivers become distracted are loud music, friends in
the car, and texting. According to Edgar, Snyder And Associates,
there are 660,000 drivers attempting to use their phone while driving
at any given time. 25 percent of all accidents in the United States
are cell phone related. Texting, changing the music, and getting
directions are some of the ways phones draw in drivers. As a driver
who recently went through the drivers ed course, I feel one
way to alleviate this issue is to place more importance on educating
new drivers on the terrifying statistics of phone related accidents.
Staying focused on the road and surroundings is of utmost importance,
especially new drivers. Regarding peers in the vehicle distracting
the driver, a crackdown on drivers driving around friends illegally
is necessary. Teen drivers who are legally unable to drive peers
commonly ignore this. As a result, this distracted driving leads to
accidents. 65% of all teen passenger deaths occur when another
teenager is the driver. This needs to be addressed through increasing
awareness in drivers ed courses about the serious dangers. As
a driver myself, there are several things I can do to be safe on the
road. To start, I always put my phone away in a safe spot where I
cannot access it while driving. If I get a call I can either wait
until I arrive at my destination or pull into a parking lot or
something similar. Second, I can make sure all passengers are in the
vehicle legally and of age. Also, I can make sure the car GPS is
loaded with my destination before I leave to avoid looking at the car
screen or phone on the road. Finally, I think keeping the music at a
low volume and out of my control while in motion increases my safety
and awareness of my surroundings. With this, along with a knowledge
of my drivers ed course, I feel safe and confident on the
road.