Drivers Ed

The importance of driver's education is not only for your safety but also for others. I know that's basic, and people think they understand that it begins with them, but they don't. Over 90% of driving deaths are the driver's fault, either because they're distracted by someone or something that's in or outside of the car, or because they're on their phones chatting away. People may say they pay attention while they're on their phone, but in reality, nobody does. We need the driver's attention 100% on the road at all times. I know it may be boring watching the road, but it keeps others and yourself safe. I've personally had a bad experience with bad driving. I was driving and looking at my hair in the rearview mirror. When I looked back at the road, there was a truck on my side, so at the last minute I swerved, and they side-swiped me, ripping off my mirror and rear fender. Luckily, I was fine, but as I pulled over and looked back, he didn't stop or anything; he kept driving. I am aware that I also am part of this, because I could've prevented everything if I was paying attention, so if I was paying attention, I could've honked, and gotten his attention, avoiding getting side-swiped, and preventing an accident. One thing I could do to be a better and safer driver would be to pay attention, like my accident that happened, if I had just watched the road everything would've been avoided, but I will admit that watching the road is boring, but with an accident like this, it made me realize how important it is to watch the road, because if I did not look when I did, I could've gotten into a head on collision resulting in way worse consequences then what already had happened. Another thing I could do to be a better and safer driver would be to carpool to places, so there are fewer of us on the road. People may say this is a huge distraction, but for me personally, there are more people to help look out for you. A way to help others be safer drivers is by modeling it. Making your everyday movements visible to others on the road. When you drive like you know how to drive, it reflects on others, and they, too, will be calm with their driving. This is an example of monkey see, monkey do. I know it sounds stupid, but I know a lot of people just follow others, so showing good, safe driving will influence others to do so as well. A couple of examples of this would be signaling early, turning smoothly without braking harshly, and showing others that you can do this without causing havoc. This shows them that you're calm, so they can be calm too. Another big way to show others that you're in no rush and you're calm is by keeping a good distance when stopping at a light and by keeping a good distance between you and the car in front of you, the same thing on the highway. This shows people that you're not in a rush, even if you are; it keeps others calm, therefore, no restless driving. Back to what steps you can take to be a better and safer driver overall is learning to be a defensive driver. There are now a lot of people who don't care and just drive, as if there's nobody else there. You have to learn to take initiative and not let them basically boss you around. Also, keep your eyes moving so that if there's an accident nearby, you'll be aware of your surroundings and take precautions. A few more steps you can take are driving for the conditions. For example, if it's raining, don't go over the speed limit; just match the weather, and if it's ever too bad, you can always pull off the road and wait. Also, never drive while you're tired, ill, or after drinking. You can be drowsy, and being drowsy is a huge distraction; you could doze off and swerve all over the road. If it ever gets that bad, call someone. If you're afraid of getting in trouble, don't be; I'd rather you be safe than somewhere where you're not supposed to be. So altogether, the importance of driver's education is a proactive intervention that saves lives. It is shown that teens who actually complete the formal driver education are less likely to get involved in a crash, and less likely to be in an injury or fatal accident.