A Butterfly Effect

Drivers
education is inherently essential to safe driving, as it gives
students a clear understanding of the conditions in which they will
be operating. From weather conditions to how pedestrians move or
their state’s traffic laws, drivers ed prepares students for
the countless details they must be aware of on the road. Drivers
education helps create a sense of onus, allowing drivers to be
vigilant and prepared for the unexpected, helping reduce crashes.

Because
access to drivers ed is so vastly different from county to
county, let alone state to state, there must be fundamental
improvements to how students can access affordable drivers ed.
Most schools no longer offer drivers ed, which teaches the
rules of the road and the safety precautions that come with it. On
top of this, defensive driving is a separate course to fundamental
drivers ed, causing a disparity in the knowledge each driver
has on the road.

With
the lack of free resources to essential education, not everyone who
has gotten behind the wheel has received lessons that help prepare
them for the road. Add to that, there are multiple types of drivers
education for varying prices, from studying a pamphlet together, to
behind the wheel lessons, to defensive driving, we have drivers
starting with vastly different preparation for the road.

And
while the rules of the road are helpful, it will only get a driver so
far. As teens make up one of the highest brackets for crashes,
defensive driving courses could help early drivers understanding on
how to handle things from emotional or physical fatigue to road rage.
Defensive driving also generally includes information on crash
prevention techniques and a better understanding of the state’s DUI
laws.

While
I have never been in a car accident, I have known people who have
become disabled due to crashes. I have also seen friends attempt to
get behind the wheel when they were too exhausted to be driving, so I
drove us home. I know it is easy for drivers to make mistakes, but
mistakes can cost lives and livelyhoods. So the better prepared all
drivers are, the more we can minimize the risk and damages that come
with driving.

I
think the biggest thing I should work on as a safe driver, is taking
more breaks in between long road trips, to prevent fatigue. And to
help others, I could offer advice on being a prepared driver: from
how to help jumpstart a car, to what to do in a crash, or what to do
in a hydroplane.

I
know that the more educated we as drivers become, the safer our roads
will be, but that also makes the opposite true. The harder it is for
drivers to have access to drivers’ education, the less prepared they
will be for the vast conditions the roads can bring. I hope soon we
take hold of this ripple and provide more accessible education for
our drivers, creating a safer environment for everyone.