Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is driver education so important?” There are many reasons people would take a driver ed course, but I believe that everyone should enroll to gain the experience and knowledge it provides. How can this course reduce driving-related deaths and what steps can be taken to get there? Can you find examples of poor driving habits within your own life or have been on the wrong end of an accident because of these bad habits? From these experiences along with what is learned in the course, how can you and the people around you become better drivers? These are a few of the questions that will be answered today that may persuade you to join a driver education class.
While in a driver ed class, you will go over safe driving techniques and procedures. It can help anyone learn how to be cautious on the road to protect themselves and others. So, how exactly does this affect driving-death statistics? A study from the University of Nebraska in 2015 found that teen drivers that didn’t complete a driver education course were 75% more likely to be issued a traffic ticket, 24% more likely to be in a severe accident, and 16% more likely to be involved in an accident at all when compared to teens that had participated in one of these courses. This study was done over eight years with a panel of over 150,000 students to ensure accuracy. Studies like this one can be found from all over the United States and help solidify the fact that driver education can reduce vehicular injury or fines and is an important step to take before going on the road.
When asking what steps you can take to keep yourself and those around you safe on the road, you need to understand the written laws and the unwritten rules. Laws are put in place for a reason, so following them is a must. Speed limits, cell phone usage, and wearing a seat belt are all examples of rules that are enforceable by police, but they aren’t the only ways to ensure safe driving. Taking steps to regulate yourself can be an important aspect of staying focused on the road. Things like turning the radio down, limiting the number of people in your car, and avoiding bad weather are just a few steps that can be taken. Some of these may one day save your life.
The reason I take drivers education so seriously is because of an accident that I was in when I was 15. My mother was driving, and we were passing an exit ramp for the interstate. The driver entering the road we were on t-boned us and sent us spinning. Thankfully we were in her large Jeep at the time, because he was in an SUV. Had we been in the smaller car we owned, me and my younger brother who was in the back wouldn’t have survived. We were hit with enough force to break the back axil and our rear passenger tire was stuck in the grill of his car. After talking to the driver, he said that he looked left (in our direction) but didn’t see us, and when he looked right, he saw a car that he wanted to ‘beat’ onto the road. He never looked back, and his haste caused him to crash into us. Despite us swerving and my mother hitting the horn, we went into a spin and went so far that the other vehicle on the road had to back up to avoid being caught in the accident themselves.
After this incident, I was terrified to drive. I had my learners permit at the time but waited another year before starting to drive myself and eventually getting my license. During this time, I took a drivers ed course in high school to keep myself safe on the road. I have avoided many crashes because I implement what I learned in my driving course even after being on the road for many years. It is important to me and helped me to understand what went wrong that day. Thinking about what happened to me, are there any memories you have that could’ve been avoided with the information learned through driver education?
Even after everything, I still find ways I can improve how I drive. Sometimes I go over the speed limit or drive at night when it’s hard for me to see. It may be impossible to drive perfectly, but by always trying to improve yourself and remaining aware other the people around you, accidents and even tickets can be avoided. Learning from those who have been on the road longer than you and passing that information down to younger siblings and friends can help keep them safe too. I personally pay attention to my mother when she drives. I watch her reactions and what she does in certain situations that could potentially become an accident. Learning through example while combining what I know from my driver education course has overall made me a better driver, and I think it could help anyone do the same.
In the end, driver education is an important part of learning to drive. It can help lower the risks of tickets and accidents on the roads for teens and even adults. It can teach you the important steps in becoming a better and safer driver even if those steps aren’t law. Driver education can help you recognize right from wrong and in turn, help you to improve not only your own driving, but those around you. No matter the reason for joining a driver ed class, it can only help improve road safety.