On The Road

Being
given the opportunity to drive is often what high school students
nowadays yearn for. Hopping into the car with a couple of friends,
roofs and windows open amidst the scorching summer days, jamming to
stereo hits, with hair flying back as they rev across the freeway—is
what most people imagine when they’re about to start driving for
the first time. However, what hundreds of these new drivers don’t
realize is that this is just a tainted perception of reality often
shown in movies and TV shows. Driving takes rock hard nerves, utmost
attention, and responsibility. But most importantly, new drivers need
to absorb the proper knowledge obtained from Drivers ed, in
combination with practice in order to understand what courses of
action they need to take while on the road.

As
previously mentioned, Drivers ed is the most important
course new student drivers can take. The Drivers ed course
entails details regarding the rules and regulations of the road, how
to safely operate a car, what courses of action to take under certain
unpredictable circumstances such as the weather, car malfunction,
etc., and provides students with the opportunity to take a road test
simulation. Statistics from various sources have shown that students
that take Drivers ed courses prior to their start in
driving reduce crashes by 4.3% and convictions by 40%. With the
proper knowledge, obtained from Drivers ed, new student
drivers can mitigate the potential risk of harm, and instead, enjoy
the privilege they’ve been granted without the burden of stress.

Furthermore,
there are several steps new student drivers can take to reduce the
number of deaths in relation to driving. One of the most crucial
steps for new student drivers is to always wear their seatbelts.
Seatbelts were created for one use and one use only: to prevent the
deaths of drivers during accidents. That’s why it’s always
important to stay strapped. Moving on, new student drivers should
learn all the controls of the vehicle they operate. Knowing all the
controls and functions ensures that new student drivers understand
how to fully operate the vehicle, reducing any confusion that might
be up in the air. Lastly, students should practice driving around
more quiet neighborhoods, following all streets rules, regulations,
signs, etc., so that they know what to do once they hit more
congested roads such as on highways or populated towns/cities.
Students would know how to maneuver their way around the roads and
wouldn’t make any rash decisions.

Thankfully,
I have never been in any serious accidents, and neither has anyone in
my family or my friends. However, we’ve all broken the law here and
there, most of the time through speeding. I understand it’s just
that impulsive decision that we make to get our adrenaline rushing,
but speeding is not safe at all, even on completely open roads.
There’s still a chance that we can lose control of the car, no
matter how good of a driver we are.