The Driver’s Education class I took when I was 14 has been THE most impactful piece of my entire education. Even years later, I recall things I learned in my school cafeteria over the summer every time I get in my car. Seeing true accident photos of people my age who had died because of not abiding by driving laws were bad for my weak stomach, but good for affecting the decisions I made behind the wheel. As difficult as they were to look at, those pictures were a necessary wake-up call that I believer every person with a license should have to see. The illusion of invincibility teenagers, including myself at the time, was shattered. They made it impossible to avoid confronting the life altering consequences that can come from reckless driving.
I knew they were powerful at 14, but now as a 27-year-old, I realize there were lessons that stuck with me unexpectedly. For example, when it starts to rain, I think back to Coach Condrey asking us about when the roads were most slippery. No one in the room guessed correctly that it was when it first starts, but now I can’t forget. When I approach a roundabout, I begin to panic before I flash back to guidance given by Mr. Aldridge during my driving portion of the class. But most importantly, every time I find myself tempted to speed, the grotesque images of fatal accidents flash in my memory. Obviously, it helps slow me down.
Learning about this in drivers education class brought up a lot of personal feelings about a life changing event the year before. My mom’s best friend, Cecily, had one son named Eric that I really looked up to. He was 16, a basketball player who was on homecoming court, and had just gotten a new sports car. He was so cool to me that I even felt cooler by hanging out with him. One night, specifically October 15th, 2010, he was coming home from a double date and gotten his Eclipse to 110 mph on a backroad. He lost control of the car, killing him and his date, Mckenzie. Unfortunately, a boy in the backseat was hospitalized for months with a traumatic brain injury caused by Eric’s bad decision.
Eric’s death sent shockwaves through our tiny community, and to say his family was devastated is an understatement. Cecily, a single mom, moved in with us for a while after the crash, and my dad was the one to identify his body at the hospital. Our world had been turned upside down, and grief ruled our every day. The hardest part was watching Cecily try to navigate her new life without Eric. Her identity as a mother had been ripped away from her. Even now, nearly 15 years later, I still think about Eric frequently.
Driver’s education is a critical tool for preventing tragedies like Eric’s. It equips new drivers with the knowledge and skills to make safer choices, but just as importantly, it challenges the impulsive, risk-taking mindset common among teenagers. Lessons like how to handle adverse weather conditions, manage distractions, and respect speed limits aren’t just theoretical—they save lives. The images and stories shared in my driver’s education class gave weight to those lessons, showing that even small lapses in judgment can have life-changing consequences. I keep a bracelet he was wearing on my rearview mirror to remind me of how quickly a fun time can change into tragedy.
When young people begin driving for the first time, it’s a personal milestone—a sign of new found freedom and independence. While that’s true, it also comes with a responsibility larger than immediately visible. Not only do our decisions on the road affect us, but also our passengers, other drivers on the road, and pedestrians. Driver’s ed class does a great job of emphasizing how interconnected we all are on the road, and reminding students that a car can either be used as a convenient form of traveling, or a destructive weapon. The choice is ours, and we have to be responsible of how our choices may affect ourself and others.
As a society, I think that we have made strides in reducing deaths related to driving. As I was getting my undergraduate degree, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft were on the rise. I watched in real time how effectively they were at reducing drunk driving among my peers. New safety features designed by car manufacturers, like lane-departure warnings and automatic braking systems, are also proving to be instrumental in reducing accidents and death because as humans, we will err. These advancements are amazing, but there is still work to be done. Ensuring that drivers education programs remain accessible is a vital step in continuing to improve road safety. Rural communities such as my own have backroads that are equally if not more dangerous than highways, so lawmakers must be purposeful in funding proper education in these areas. Public campaigns like “Click It Or Ticket” and “Look Twice Save Lives” also seem to find success in reducing fatalities, so I think it would be great if there were more campaigns targeting other issues like distracted driving.
On the note of personal accountability, I’ve found that the most significant change I’ve made has been a small one—leaving a little earlier. If I make sure I have plenty of time to get somewhere, I don’t feel the need to rush, speed, pass, or run red lights. It seems simple, but most of my risky temptations come when I’m running late. Modeling defensive driving behavior is one step towards safer roads, and another way to help others stay safe is with open conversations, especially to my high school students. Sharing Eric’s story is painful but a powerful reminder of the dangers of driving.
Driver’s education taught me how to get from one place to another, but also about my responsibility to protect people on the road. It is real, raw, and essential to a better world. I hope to honor Eric’s memory by advocating for safe driving practices to prevent others from feeling the pain I saw first-hand.