There is a huge amount of significance in having kids, or adults learning to drive, take drivers Ed classes. These classes teach people about the laws of the road, how to safely follow these laws, and ensure the safety of themselves and the drivers around them. Without these classes we would have new drivers who have absolutely 0 clue about how to properly drive their vehicle. With the way cars are designed now, they can go very fast, and new drivers with no clue on traffic laws and how to drive, would be going as fast as they could and this could be deadly for them, or whomever they hit. When you take your drivers Ed classes you see the different traffic laws, what signs mean, and when to use your signals and why. Without any of this knowledge most kids would not have a clue how to use their turn signals. When you don't use your turn signals and just stop and turn the people being you have no idea what you're doing, and if they aren't paying super close attention, they will most likely hit you. The road signs, yield signs, road work signs, or any of the numerous signs there are these days, would be almost a foreign language to kids if they did not take drivers Ed. In my area of Ohio, they are just starting to put more roundabouts in, before they started putting them in around here, most people had never seen one before, and many kids would not understand how one worked, so unless they learned it in a driving class, they would blow right through and possibly cause a accident. Without drivers ed there would be so many more fatalities on the road soley based on the fact that new drivers would be almost clueless about how to properly and safely use their vehicle.
There are several steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths while driving, some of which are increasing car safety, taking technology out of cars to distract drivers less, making drivers licenses get renewed after people turn 65, making specific lanes for semis so they can drive more safely without worrying about cars swerving out behind or in front of them. There can be more laws protecting farm equipment on the roads, allowing safer travel from farmers and their kids driving their equipment down the road. Many people blame the bigger vehicles for crashes involving semis, or farm machinery, but most times, it really is not their fault, a lot of people do not pay a whole lot of attention while driving, possibly texting, talking to their passengers, or messing with their touchscreen on their dash. With the new law passed recently on texting and driving, that will be a major help in lowering crash rates, which will also lower fatality rates at the same time. As a farm kid we make sure we are as safe as possible on the roads with our machinery, but there are numerous people who will not slow down and go flying past us when we have no room to get over, almost clipping us, with 0 regard for the life in the seat of the tractor. There have been more and more cases of farmers being hit by cars and killed in the accident because the driver of the car wasn't paying attention and slammed into them. If there was something in place to insure the safety of farmers or heavy machine operators on the road or roadside, that would reduce the amount of fatalities and increase safety on the roads.
When I am driving there are several things I can do to be a better, and safer driver. I can pay attention to those around me and ensure that I will be out of the way if something happens, I can make sure that when I drive in a crowded area I take my time and drive slowly. I can encourage younger kids, and kids my age to pay attention while driving and stay off their phones. I can teach my brothers the rules of the road and how to safely follow them. There are numerous things that I can do to be a safer driver and help encourage others to be better drivers themselves, but the main thing is that kids take drivers ed seriously and implement what they've learned into the real world once the time comes.