Between 8 and 4

It was May of 2025, I was a newly minted driver having gotten my driver’s license only six months prior. I had been driving home after a fun evening with one of my close friends. I was driving home, blasting New Style by the Beastie Boys in my car. I never expected what happened to me next. Six miles away from my home, a woman ran a stop sign as I was entering the intersection. If it had not been for my driver’s education class, I would not have walked away from that crash. In driver’s education, I learned how to position my hands on the steering wheel, if it were not for that, my arms would have been broken when my airbag deployed. I learned how far to sit from my steering wheel in order to prevent chest injuries, and most importantly, I was drilled on the importance of wearing my seatbelt. If it had not been for that class, I would not have survived, instead, I walked away with a minor scrape on my elbow and a mild concussion. My experience and lack of injury in that crash proved to not just myself but to my loved ones how worth it my time in driver’s education was. It is evident that everyone should go through driver’s education classes in order to prevent death at the hand of serious crashes, like the one I was in. Learning how to safely operate a motor vehicle is the first thing a driver can do to keep themselves safe on the road. It is one of the first steps and is incredibly important. It means that deaths can be prevented and people can get from point A to point B safely. While I was able to take driver’s education and have since gained more experience on the road, I and everyone else, can continue to take steps to become a better driver. We need to work on limiting distractions while driving. While newer cars are becoming more technology forward, we need to make sure to keep our eyes on the road, not screens. We also need to make sure to be vigilant, even if we are in conditions where that makes it hard. The woman who caused my crash cited visibility as the reason for why she didn’t see me before driving into the intersection. Simply taking a moment to stop and truly ensure the way is clear means that she, and everyone else, can prevent accidents. Drivers should also make sure that they are safely operating their vehicles. Driver’s education gave me these valuable insights and I continue to make sure I follow them. Drivers need to not only be wearing seatbelts and checking blind spots but making sure that their vehicle is safe before they even get behind the wheel. Operators should check their brakes, their tires, and their lights all before they even start moving. You should never be within 10 inches from your steering wheel and your mirrors should be positioned to give you the best visibility possible. Most importantly, your hands should remain at 8 and 4. Taking these couple minutes before you start moving means you could save your life and potentially someone else’s. If drivers just simply take a moment to slow down, lives would be saved. Most people believe that driver’s education is just for new drivers however, rules change and so do discoveries in safety. Driver’s education should be made available for any driver, regardless of age. I believe that this is especially relevant for older drivers who are used to the old safety procedures and the old rules of the road. When I got into my crash, the other driver was 83 and suffered a concussion because of how close she was to her steering wheel. If she had received updated information through a driver’s education course, I believe that her injury could have been prevented. It is another step that we as a society can take to prevent deaths and injuries during a car crash. Moving forward, I believe that every driver should be given the opportunity to take a driver’s education course. In a world that prioritizes speed and efficiency over safety, we all need to take a step back and remember that the steps we take behind the wheel can save ourselves and others. We are in control and we take responsibility for our actions when we are behind the wheel. What we do with that responsibility is up to us. I know that I will continue to drive safely, using what I learned in my driver’s education course.