I think driver education is extremely important in reducing deaths on the road. A huge example of this is elderly drivers. These people learned how to drive decades ago, and due to age and age related conditions these drivers can act very dangerously on the road, I think if there was a required driver education program for those over the age of 60, deaths on the road would greatly decrease. Hypothetically if individuals did not complete this program, they would have their license revoked and wouldn’t be allowed to drive any more. and both the elderly and those on the road with them will feel much safer and more confident. I think a major reason a lot of elderly people feel they need to drive everywhere in the first place is the lack of quality, safe, public transportation in both rural areas but also big cities. I think if the US actually developed more walkable cities and updated public transport to be more effective, road’s wouldn’t be so dangerous and the elderly wouldn’t feel obligated to drive everywhere.
Though I’ve never been in an accident, I have a friend who does drive recklessly. She has pulled into the wrong direction of a parking lot entrance, went 10 miles under in an express lane, and has hit a parked car before, her reckless driving stresses me out and since the one time I’ve been her passenger I haven’t gotten a ride from her since. I think a big reason for why her driving is so dangerous is because she did her behind the wheel program before getting all of her required hours, learning from an instructor without knowing any prior knowledge about driving is detrimental because it stops from important information being taught because the instructor has to teach the student the basics of driving instead. I think another major problem with people driving recklessly is a lot of people don’t even know they’re doing it, me and my friends tell this specific friend that she’s a scary driver and she denies it, because she doesn’t understand how her driving compares to other drivers on the road due to the way her mom and boyfriend drive (also recklessly). I think driver's tests should be stricter to stop people who are ignorant to their poor driving from getting on the road with a license. The roads in my area are very easy to speed on and there’s so many recent stories of people my age dying in car crashes because they aren’t ready to drive, both in terms of skill and maturity. This is why I think the driving requirements in Europe are safer. I visited Ireland last year and learned that people aren’t permitted to start getting a driver's license until they’re 18, I think this is wise because it allows future drivers to mature and develop critical thinking skills before even starting to learn, there’s a foundation of knowledge and safety that is missing when people learn to drive too young, it’s then that they begin to develop dangerous habits like driving too fast or too slow, or ignoring important signage.
Some steps I can take to be a safer driver is avoiding distractions. When I drive I put my phone in my bag and out of sight so I’m not tempted to look at it. I think also limiting how many people I allow in my car is also important, as a teenager I know me and my friends can get hyper and mess around a lot, so limiting how many of my friends I let myself drive and reduce the likelihood of something dangerous happening. Music can also be distracting so I have a specific playlist of songs that are not as upbeat or catchy to avoid getting distracted. I think I can help others become safer by reminding my friends and family when they aren’t driving safely. In the case of my previously mentioned friend, I can give her actual reasoning as to how she doesn’t drive safely, and possibly offer her rides, allowing her to see my example of how to drive safely.I hope future drivers don’t look at the wrong examples for driving simply because of the people around them and actually learn the proper way and I think reckless driving is a major issue but it’s unfair to blame people when the real issue is a lack of education. I think if there were more regulations involving when and how people learn how to drive and get their license, our roads would be much safer for both drivers and pedestrians. I hope future drivers don’t look at the wrong examples for driving simply because of the people around them and actually learn the proper way.