VROOM!
My body jitters as I watch a sports car, traveling 90+ mph, whiz by
me on the freeway. My mom and I shake our heads simultaneously. We
both hope that there is a pregnant woman in labor in that car,
otherwise there was no excuse to drive like that. One day that driver
will get caught for breaking the speed limit.

But
then my mind begins to wonder. Why do so many people drive like a
maniac? It seems as though they were not properly informed on the
dangers of unsafe driving. I would never do anything like that, and
there’s a reason behind this. My dad drives 400+ miles a week
because of where he works. And because of this, he has altered the
way he drives. When I got my Driver’s Permit in 2018, I was taught
“defensive driving.” Defensive driving is how all safe drivers
drive, because you are able to react to what other people on the road
do. This also eliminates aggressive behaviors, including going over
the speed limit, cutting off other drivers, and not giving
pedestrians right of way. If more people became increasingly educated
on drivers ed, more defensive drivers would be on the roads
which results in less deaths.

My
dad always says that the way someone drives is an excellent indicator
of their personality. I am incredibly judgemental of my peers’
driving. I recently heard from a friend that his parents took away
his car and he was grounded. I wondered what happened, since he just
got his driver’s license. He told me that he got into two car
crashes within the first two weeks of getting his driver’s license.
I don’t know how the DMV passed this guy. This is an example of an
uneducated driver. Taking away his car is not going to solve this
problem. But what WOULD solve this problem is if his parents taught
him defensive driving. But then we run into another issue. Maybe his
parents aren’t good drivers either!

One
idea that I have comes from a program that I used last year. To
reduce the costly fees of insurance for a new driver, my parents
wanted me to take an online course called teenSMART. This program
discussed why teens are so prone to car accidents (because teens are
more likely to perform risky behavior) and how to safely drive by
changing technique and improving awareness. This program, or
something similar, is something I would highly recommend on top of
the required Drivers Ed that is completed before taking the
Driver’s Permit Test because it gives a good foundation for new
drivers. We’re not going to be able to eliminate all deaths as a
result of driving, but providing new drivers the tools to drive in a
safe manner will be one step in the right direction.