While defensive driving class can be boring, it isn’t as tedious as trying to shop for lower car insurance after the first accident! There are lots of great reasons to enroll in defensive driving, and a good insurance quote is just the beginning.
For most people, learning to drive from a calm, collected and professional driving instructor, rather than your uptight and nervous parents, is a major bonus. My mom spent about 15 minutes with me behind the wheel, which was impressive but not effective. I enrolled in drivers ed course in my hometown, and it was the best decision I made when I got my learners permit. First, my instructor was incredibly calm as well as prepared for the “first time” mistakes that new drivers tend to make behind the wheel. I learned from him how to anticipate other drivers, rather than always react. Once I understood that other drivers are likely NOT to pay attention, it made me more cautious and aware of my surroundings. A driver cannot simply expect everyone else to follow the rules of the road to be safe.
When my mom shouted, “look out” and grabbed the dashboard, that wasn’t helpful. However, when he would say, “Lilah, see that truck ahead? What might he do at this light and what should you do to prepare.” Surprisingly the latter was more effective. While I love my parents beyond measure, I did not love learning to drive with them. Once he and I practiced this together while driving, it because second nature to anticipate the actions/reactions of other drivers. This is the single most important part of driving.
Additionally, the driver’s education cars don’t have all the bells and whistles of our cars at home. This made learning far easier because I wasn’t distracted by all the driver assistance that’s meant to be a safety measure, but difficult to navigate for a new driver. I found the constant beeping (backup camera, warnings for changing lanes, etc.) to be frustrating and confusing. It made me more nervous, and that’s not a healthy approach when learning to drive. Once I felt comfortable in the driver’s education car, I felt more comfortable with the technology that is in our family’s cars.
I read some statistics about formal drivers’ education: 56% less to be involved in multiple vehicle crashes, 43% less likely to commit traffic violations in the first year of driving and 38% less likely to be involved in car crashes involving injuries. Those figures are impressive, and it makes sense because a professional has been engaged in the learning process. While most parents are experienced drivers, they are not trained professionals. They also chave their own bad habits that can easily be passed down. My mother yells and is impatient (I really do love her, despite how this essay reads). She’s a bit aggressive behind the wheel, as are most people. So, not all drivers are good instructors.
The next statistic I read is that drivers education results in approximately 75% fewer DUI convictions. That is an incredibly large number and when you take driving seriously and make a financial investment in a driver’s education class, you inherently take driving itself seriously. Additionally, he and I had a lot to talk about in our hours on the road each week. Sometimes it was about my high school drama, who I was taking to a dance, my teachers, etc. He was easy to talk to and I was a chatty high school girl. He shared his life experience as well. He was a retired police officer and had great stories. Scattered between the dumb criminals and town gossip were stories of lives ruined by DUIs, irresponsible driving, avoidable accidents. There were a lot of life lessons passed down to me, and at the time I didn’t realize their importance.
While not every instructor will be a former police officer, I think that every instructor must impart their knowledge to the teens they teach. It’s not an easy job (clearly my mother cannot handle it) and these people must care about the kids. I like to think that drivers’ education teachers are surrogate parents for new drivers. It isn’t easy for parents and teens to have conversations around speeding, DUIs, etc. since parents tend to preach; their worry comes from a different place. He came from life on the police force. Real life. I appreciated our time together and what he said has stayed with me. I’ve been driving for 3 years and the lessons from my driver’s education course have served me well. In fact, my only tragedy thus far has been going through a carwash with the top down on my Jeep!
For most people, learning to drive from a calm, collected and professional driving instructor, rather than your uptight and nervous parents, is a major bonus. My mom spent about 15 minutes with me behind the wheel, which was impressive but not effective. I enrolled in drivers ed course in my hometown, and it was the best decision I made when I got my learners permit. First, my instructor was incredibly calm as well as prepared for the “first time” mistakes that new drivers tend to make behind the wheel. I learned from him how to anticipate other drivers, rather than always react. Once I understood that other drivers are likely NOT to pay attention, it made me more cautious and aware of my surroundings. A driver cannot simply expect everyone else to follow the rules of the road to be safe.
When my mom shouted, “look out” and grabbed the dashboard, that wasn’t helpful. However, when he would say, “Lilah, see that truck ahead? What might he do at this light and what should you do to prepare.” Surprisingly the latter was more effective. While I love my parents beyond measure, I did not love learning to drive with them. Once he and I practiced this together while driving, it because second nature to anticipate the actions/reactions of other drivers. This is the single most important part of driving.
Additionally, the driver’s education cars don’t have all the bells and whistles of our cars at home. This made learning far easier because I wasn’t distracted by all the driver assistance that’s meant to be a safety measure, but difficult to navigate for a new driver. I found the constant beeping (backup camera, warnings for changing lanes, etc.) to be frustrating and confusing. It made me more nervous, and that’s not a healthy approach when learning to drive. Once I felt comfortable in the driver’s education car, I felt more comfortable with the technology that is in our family’s cars.
I read some statistics about formal drivers’ education: 56% less to be involved in multiple vehicle crashes, 43% less likely to commit traffic violations in the first year of driving and 38% less likely to be involved in car crashes involving injuries. Those figures are impressive, and it makes sense because a professional has been engaged in the learning process. While most parents are experienced drivers, they are not trained professionals. They also chave their own bad habits that can easily be passed down. My mother yells and is impatient (I really do love her, despite how this essay reads). She’s a bit aggressive behind the wheel, as are most people. So, not all drivers are good instructors.
The next statistic I read is that drivers education results in approximately 75% fewer DUI convictions. That is an incredibly large number and when you take driving seriously and make a financial investment in a driver’s education class, you inherently take driving itself seriously. Additionally, he and I had a lot to talk about in our hours on the road each week. Sometimes it was about my high school drama, who I was taking to a dance, my teachers, etc. He was easy to talk to and I was a chatty high school girl. He shared his life experience as well. He was a retired police officer and had great stories. Scattered between the dumb criminals and town gossip were stories of lives ruined by DUIs, irresponsible driving, avoidable accidents. There were a lot of life lessons passed down to me, and at the time I didn’t realize their importance.
While not every instructor will be a former police officer, I think that every instructor must impart their knowledge to the teens they teach. It’s not an easy job (clearly my mother cannot handle it) and these people must care about the kids. I like to think that drivers’ education teachers are surrogate parents for new drivers. It isn’t easy for parents and teens to have conversations around speeding, DUIs, etc. since parents tend to preach; their worry comes from a different place. He came from life on the police force. Real life. I appreciated our time together and what he said has stayed with me. I’ve been driving for 3 years and the lessons from my driver’s education course have served me well. In fact, my only tragedy thus far has been going through a carwash with the top down on my Jeep!
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