Driver education is extremely important. It teaches you how to drive the correct way. When you are taught by your parents, most likely they will teach you how to drive like everyone else on the road rather than teaching you the right and wrongs, signs, lights, what to do when there are certain weather conditions, what buttons in your car mean what, and more. It is like learning how to drive in a school setting rather than a homeschool setting. Anyone is able to get a driver's ed booklet. Most teens study this book before they test for their permit. The problem we face now is people do not follow drivers ed. After you start driving for a while, you just start to drive like everyone else on the road. Sometimes it is unsafe. If everyone on the road is speeding, it might be dangerous for you to go slow. Drivers ed teaches us about lights and what those colors mean or what flashing arrows mean. There are times when cars run a red light, causing an accident and sometimes fatal. A new driver cannot get on the road without a driver's ed. In the state of Missouri 15 year olds looking to get their permit are required to take a written test. You also cannot test for your license without driving time with your permit. Without driver education, the number of deaths as a result of driving would increase.
There are several steps that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One of the biggest steps we can take is to put an end to distracted driving. There have been so many deaths this year just by distracted driving. Unfortunately, the speeches and signs talking about the dangers of distracted driving are not working. Surely as technology is being built a feature could be added that could limit distractions. Virtual reality is becoming popular, maybe a simulator could be made to stress the dangers of distracted driving. Unfortunately, the only way people will listen is if they experience the danger or something close to the danger firsthand. Another step that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths is having more driving systems. The thought is mainly to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road. This year, there have been several deaths resulting in drunk driving, many of them were of kids in my county. I’ve been on college visits this year and they have these driving facilities that should be everywhere, not just on campuses. If you are not in a space to drive, you can call a number and a taxi or some campus ride will come and drive you back to where you need to go, and it is free. These kinds of systems should be available in every community, town, city, and state. These systems will significantly reduce the number of drunk drivers. It will also make the roads a safer place in general.
I have never experienced being in a car accident, nor do I know anyone personally that has. But I do know that there have been many teens this year in fatal accidents from the high schools around me. Some of my friends know these people. I am writing this on May 5th, and just last Sunday four underclassmen were killed in an accident. One of my friends was close to one of the girls who was killed. Another friend of mine lost one of her friends due to texting and driving. There was a kid who was walking along the highway and a driver drove into them. The number of fatal car accidents have increased during prom season this year.
As a driver, some steps I can take to be a better driver and help others is to be aware of my surroundings. One thing I have a habit of is looking at something interesting for too long, that makes me a distracted driver. I also do things like eat or put chapstick on, again this makes me a distracted driver. I can wait to do all those things; I can do that before I leave or when I get to my destination, not while I am on the road. I should also pay attention to the other drivers on the road. I should pay attention to the driving behaviors of others, for example a driver who is swerving. If the person in front of me is swerving out of control, I could slow down and give that driver enough space, that way I prevent myself or the other driver from an accident. Something else I could do is to put my phone in a hidden place when driving. It may be tempting to look at if it is sitting in my center console. If I put it in a place where I cannot see it, it will be less tempting. I could put my phone in the glove department or in my bag, somewhere where it is not visible. That way I can reduce my distractions.