One of the leading causes of death in North America is the very object everyone relies on for daily functioning: cars. In an increasingly urbanizing world, we need them to work, go to school, buy groceries, and socialize. The frequency and high risk of driving are why driver education is crucial to public safety. There is little the general population can do to avoid using these useful yet dangerous machines, so the best one can do to use the responsibility well is to educate themself. According to Driver’s Ed, car crashes cause approximately 33% of all teen deaths, and 95% of all crashes are caused by driver error. Unfortunately, these are not shocking statistics. Its users are well aware of the dangers of the modern-day car, yet initiative is rarely taken to educate ourselves past the necessary driver’s tests.
A study executed by the AAA Foundation found that teenagers who complete Driver’s Ed are safer on the roads because they are more likely to listen to a professional than their parents or guardians. In the teenage population, driver’s education has reduced crashes by 4.3% and convictions by 40%. Furthermore, those who took these classes had more general knowledge and scored higher on their driver’s tests. Official education also provides more supervised experience to increase comfort, knowledge, and skill. An experienced, comfortable, knowledgeable, and skilled driver is less likely to cause an accident and is more likely to make safer judgment calls when they find themselves on the receiving end of mistakes.
In order to educate people on driver safety, lessons need to be accessible. The government should provide adequate funding to programs that provide these services. The money available directly affects the quality of education that companies are capable of providing, which directly affects the clients’ driving abilities. Furthermore, proper funding could decrease the prices of driver’s education. As prices increase, fewer people are able to afford the services to educate themselves or their children. According to a 2013 study conducted by the AAA Foundation, only 34% of teenagers had their license within a year of eligibility. It is becoming increasingly impossible to attain a license, let alone pursue further education surrounding the responsibility of a license. Additionally, a baseline education should be required to pass the initial driver’s test. Currently, taking Driver’s Ed in Ontario is merely an incentive, rewarding the people who can afford it a four-month deduction on the time between their G1 and G2 test. If Driver’s Ed was a free, or at least affordable, requirement along with the current conditions, each new and teenage driver would be given the opportunity to make the roads a safer place. Finally, safety education should be a life-long process. Within a period of time, license holders should be required to attend a free course to recertify and reinforce their knowledge of road safety. Traffic laws are continuously evolving along with drivers, cars, and technology, so our knowledge should evolve with those factors.
I have had the privilege of growing up with parents who set an example for road safety. I feel comfortable in the car with them, and that has made me a cautiously comfortable new driver as well. However, I have encountered bad driving experiences with others in my life. My grandpa likes to have fun and make jokes, but his boisterous nature seeps into his driving habits. He enjoys getting a reaction out of his grandkids by swerving on neighbourhood roads, quickly accelerating on the highway, or driving with no hands. While in the car with him, we have gotten into numerous near-accidents. Unbeknownst to me, when I was a kid, he took me on a car ride along a private road and almost lost control when he encountered a speed wobble around a corner. This experience terrified both my parents and my grandpa, and he has subsequently become more careful. He has inadvertently inspired me to be a careful driver, as I strive never to make my passengers nervous or put them in danger. I learned that the responsibility of driving should never be taken lightly, even as a joke. My passengers should feel comfortable while I am behind the wheel.
To be a safe driver, I remind myself never to get too comfortable and to never assume that I am the best driver. I am aware that if I let myself reach a perceived “limit” of driving expertise, my awareness and cautiousness could start to decline, leading to fatal mistakes. My mom always said that she trusts me on the roads, but she doesn’t trust the bad drivers around me. To better myself as a driver, I can learn the best ways to avoid or at least lessen the consequences made by others. Moreover, I can stay up to date on new traffic laws and safety tips, given our society’s numerous technological advancements. I believe one of the best ways to help others become safer on the road is to be a good passenger. I have multiple friends who experience anxiety while driving, so by offering to answer their texts, give directions, and handle the music so they can stay off of their phones and stay focused on the road, I try to be someone they can feel relaxed with.
Overall, driver’s education is statistically proven to reduce car crashes and increase driver safety knowledge. The available programs should be given the proper funding to increase accessibility and quality, and acquiring basic knowledge about road safety provided by these educational institutions should be required to hold a license. Given my personal experiences with unsafe drivers and the 1.35 million people who die each year due to car accidents, I will take the steps to make the roads, which are necessary to survive in a modern world, a safer place.