Driver Education Initiative – Defensive Driving

My name is Kara
West, and I plan to attend Augustana College in fall, 2020 as a
Psychology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies double
major. As a current high school senior and I have a lot of
experience as both a passenger and a driver. Numerous times, I have
seen my friends and family, all good at operating their own
vehicles, forget to pay attention to every other vehicle around
them. Whether they’re glancing at their phone, messing with the
radio, or just telling a story, they put too much trust in their
driving skills and pay no mind to the drivers around them who may
not have the same skills, or who may be distracted, themselves. When
this happens, I take a moment to remind them and myself that there
are huge amounts of people driving on the road with us every day,
and all it takes is one mistake from them to affect our own safety.
It isn’t enough to be a good driver. We have to think defensively
and give our full attention to the road and other drivers so that,
in the event that someone else makes a mistake, we are prepared to
step up and potentially save lives by knowing what to do.

Most of the
problems teens encounter while driving are a result of a lack of
understanding. Operating a vehicle seems easy; put the car in drive,
press the gas, steer, and you’re golden. However, actually driving
a vehicle on the road around other drivers is much more difficult
than this, and anyone sitting behind a wheel needs extensive
education to understand this. The most important lesson to be
learned in order to decrease driving deaths is best learned in a
Drivers ed class, in the classroom and during supervised
driving experience. This is the skill of defensive driving.

When there is a trained instructor with lots of experience in the
car with a person, they serve as a second line of defense when it
comes to awareness of the driver’s surroundings and what they
should do. Even in the classroom, an instructor can remind students
of all ages which situations to be aware of when it comes to other
drivers on the road, like making sure no one is coming before
proceeding at a newly green light, watching for vehicles trying to
pass on two- and four-lane highways, any intersection where a driver
might suddenly slow down, and especially unfavorable road conditions
where others may drive recklessly. Knowing how to act in these
situations as well as a driver’s own responsibilities, like going
the speed limit and using turning signals, greatly reduces the
chances of fatal crashes on roadways as drivers are skilled to
handle either their own or another driver’s mistakes, which can
happen at any time, and make quick decisions to stay safe.

I believe this message is crucial; I hope others do, too. Thank you
for taking the time to read my essay.