Name: Nolan Baker
From: Mechanicsville, Virginia
Votes: 0
You can’t effectively do a task unless you have been properly
taught. If you haven’t been taught how to do something all your
knowledge will come simply from doing that task and trying new
things. This can be a powerful learning tool for some more harmless
tasks such as playing a game of basketball or learning how to draw.
It should not however be a method of learning for driving on public
roads.
More and more students are going through drivers ed barely
passing and not really caring. Some even to the point of lying about
hours completed for behind the wheel. This as you may imagine is a
quite horrible thing. Unexperienced drivers who are learning
everything they know about driving from their trips alone in a car
they don’t feel comfortable driving are dangerous. The most
dangerous person on the road is a scared unprepared driver. Those who
drive recklessly are an absolute danger but don’t compare to those
who lack experience.
In order to fix this, we must find a way to ensure new drivers are
going out with every advantage possible. New drivers must be able to
drive well in a safe manner before we let them out on the road. The
tests done by the schools for behind the wheel help but are nothing
compared to hours and hours of practice that should be done at home.
There needs to be a way to make sure that these hours are not being
forged either. While the student may see it as an opportunity to get
a license sooner it leaves them with nothing more than a handicap
when they go out to drive. They will find themselves in situations
where they lack the knowledge to operate the vehicle in a safe
manner.
This is why a scared driver is worse than a reckless driver. While
the reckless driver often puts himself in danger due to pushing his
limits a scared driver is already past theirs. This again Is why we
must make sure our new drivers are confident and hold all the
required knowledge to operate a motor vehicle safely. If we can
ensure with absolute certainty that all new drivers posses the tools
required when they leave their training, then accidents and
fatalities will fall drastically.
As for myself I can be safer simply by making sure I am more aware. I
possess the tools needed to be a confident driver but don’t always
find myself using them. When driving tired sometimes my awareness and
judgement which are normally sharp may be delayed. This can not only
put myself in danger but can endanger those around me.
At the end of the day there are many causes for unsafe driving. The
most prevalent of those however is scared and unexperienced drivers.
I believe if we could solve the problem of uneducated drivers, we
could get car related fatalities to drop dramatically. We need to
strengthen our drivers ed system and instead of making sure
everyone passes we need to make sure everyone who passes understands.
If people have the knowledge it can then be up to them to practice
safe driving habits. Until every driver has the required knowledge
however, the blame does not lie entirely on them.
