Forging Better Drivers by Forging Better People

Driver
education is vital to the effort of reducing driver deaths! Much like
how the path to becoming a championship-worthy sports team begins in
the gym, safer driving begins both in the classroom and in the
driver’s seat, with a responsible driver watching over your
actions. Learning the driving laws and what is expected of you for
your state will assist you in knowing how to perform on the roads of
your home state. From Washington to Arkansas to Connecticut, picking
up your state’s driver’s manual at your local Department of Motor
Vehicles is already a great start to improving driver safety. The
same is true for driving with a legal adult who you trust, as they
can help you “get the feel” for physically driving and learning
the intricacies of safe road practices.

The
first step for true change in how we act on the road and treat driver
safety begins with education. It is not enough to simply tell
drivers to be safer, they must learn! With motivation for improving
our roadways and the mindset that we can learn from our mistakes, we
can reeducate unsafe drivers, regardless of age. A lot of people
don’t always want to admit that they are doing something poorly,
especially adults. The easy solution to this is to be understanding
of people, not seeing them as finished projects but everchanging
pieces of art that can change over time. Day by day, page by page,
driving session by driving session, we can learn from past mistakes
and teach ourselves and others the needed information to have safer
roads.

While
I personally have never been in an accident, I have seen the lives of
friends and family alike involved in them. I have seen my father get
in horrifying accidents due to poor weather conditions and driving
practices, and I am very thankful that he is fine now. A family very
close to mine lost one of their own due to driving while intoxicated.
The important thing is that there are learning opportunities present.
Why look at the past with contempt and fear of family and friends
being hurt, when we can instead look for opportunities to grow and
change? In the instance of my father, he now knows not to drive as
fast as he does when the roads aren’t icy, and the close friends of
ours who lost their recently graduated family member personally knows
the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The
path to being a better driver begins with the idea that mistakes are
not bad, and a willingness to learn. Every chapter we read in our
driver’s manual and every driving session we spend learning the ins
and outs of driving is improving us and making us safer in the
process. Every close scrape in the parking lot, every lane change
without a turn signal, every injury or death that splits our hearts,
gives us the chance to accept it, grow from it, and succeed.