Driving is something that most adults and teens do. It brings you from point A to B in a timely manner. It is also, however, one of the scariest things to do on the road. I am currently learning how to drive and it is the scariest thing I have ever had to learn. The many times I have almost swerved into a curb or gone too slow while driving is one of the many reasons why Driver’s Education is so Important.



Deaths are usually natural but unfortunate occurrences. Driver-related ones are even worse. No one wants to be in that situation. There could be a multitude of reasons why it happened on the road, but that’s one of the reasons drivers ed exist. It can show you how to stop if the conditions are risky or what to do if a car crash is up ahead and how to avoid it. It can also keep you from doing things that might cause this to happen. For example, not drinking alcohol, getting high, being overly tired, overly anxious, are all things that could cause a deadly car crash.
 There are many ways to prevent accidents from happening. The first step is to make sure that your car is up to date and getting its maintenance done on a semi-often basis. I say semi-often because not everyone has the time or money to get it all done at once. Make sure that your lights and blinkers work. Check your tire pressure on an often basis. The next step should be taking care of yourself. You are going to be the person driving after all and the car is only as good as the driver. Unless your car is not up to date in which case, you need to again keep up with maintenance. Ways to take care of yourself are as explained. Make sure you get enough sleep. Reaction time is off when you don’t have enough sleep. Eat so you don’t get distracted by your stomach. Make sure to stay hydrated. Even if you have the car air-conditioning, you still need to drink water. The last step is to limit any unnecessary distractions. Out of all the things I have been told, being on your phone while driving is a terrible idea. Only look at your phone when you are fully stopped somewhere. Also, do not eat in the car while driving. You have to take your hand off the wheel for that. What if you have to make a quick turn and you aren’t fully ready? The last thing is to keep your music at a manageable volume. You still have to hear what’s going on around you.
I have never been in a car accident and hope never to be in one. However, there have been a few times when my family members have driven irresponsibly. Not too recently, my grandmother needed us over to help her with chores around the house. My older brother was going the speed limit most of the time until we got up to a rather open stretch of road and he just sped up. Coincidently, he had to stop quickly because a car was up ahead and the light turned red. My mother doesn’t drive recklessly often, she drives quite well. Just like my brother.

What I can do to be a better driver is to just prepare myself as much as I can before driving. I have high amounts of anxiety and calming down before driving is all I can do to prepare myself. Sure, I could pre-save routes, plan where I'm going, and even check to see if there are any ways I could get somewhere faster, but things change quickly on the road. I can’t predict the unknown as much as I could be able to. Another is to not assume that someone is an awful person when I can’t see what they're doing or read their mind. If I Just see someone on their phone then that is a different story. But as far as I know, they could have someone in their car that needs to get to the hospital. That or they could be going to someone’s funeral and that might even affect their driving.  The last thing is to be able to focus on multiple things at once. When I drive, I have a hard time focusing on multiple things on the road due to all the things I’m thinking about. All of these reasons could apply to anyone, so if you are in a similar situation that I am, just take a breather and try to clear your head.
In conclusion, driving is a difficult and scary process, but driver’s ed Is there to teach you and help you out when it is needed most. Which will be needed since you can’t drive without some practice.