Drivers education at first glance, seems to be where teens sit in a classroom and learn to drive for the first time. There are driving schools all over the county who serve this purpose, to educate these teens on the laws set by our government. Drivers education goes so much further than this 6 month long program. The experience that people gain on the road could also be considered part of drivers education. There’s a reason why parents are required to be with new drivers when they take to the streets. There’s an enormous amount of different ways to get into accidents, and it’s impossible for driving schools to cover every possibility, not to say they don’t try. There’s a saying that “learning doesn’t stop in the classroom” and it’s applicable to driving as well. Every time teens drive, something new is learned. This is what drivers education means to me and it’s important for all drivers to go through this process because it makes them more aware of their surroundings. Driving involves a large metal box going at high speeds. It’s a dangerous vehicle if not treated with proper caution, and that’s exactly what drivers education does.
Basic motorcycle education is also just as important for raising awareness on the road. Basic motorcycle training could reduce deaths on the road if more people take the classes. This does not mean that more people should ride motorcycles. They are arguably more dangerous to ride than a car. Cars surround a person with four walls while motorcycles do not offer the same protection. No, instead I recommend motorcycle classes due to the new perspective they give on the road. Not being surrounded by the safety of metal walls means driving more carefully and being aware of surroundings all the time. A rule often referenced when riding a motorcycle is “drive like you’re invisible.” It’s a great rule that more people should adapt their driving around, even when in a car. Many topics taught in motorcycle classes only serve to make people a better driver in the car.
There have been two moments where I’ve been or almost been in an accident. Some of them have been to blind spots when turning in or out of a parking lot, and one was on the highway. While they were scary, these accidents also went forward to teach me lessons that I then take with me on future rides. One accident was when I was pulling into a parking lot. It was 7:30 am on a 4 lane road, and I was in the middle lane trying to turn left. There were a lot of cars and they began stopping. One lane of cars stopped a little early, giving me enough space to cross into the parking lot. While crossing over, this truck in the second lane came speeding towards me. I quickly sped into the parking lot, but it was a close call, as this truck also turned into the lot, almost rear ending my vehicle. It’s true that if I monitored my blind spots, this could have been prevented, but I ended up doing what I could.
Another time I was almost in an accident, I was driving on the freeway. This was sometime around 4:00 pm, and it was only my second or third time on the freeway. I was going 70 miles an hour. It doesn’t seem very fast compared to those who drive 80-90 miles an hour, but I was still new, and it was that fastest that I had ever gone. On the right, an entrance ramp was coming closer but I wasn’t paying close enough attention to that side. Before I knew it, a car was coming down the ramp at a similar speed to myself. I panicked and thought it was going to hit me, even though in hindsight, I should have just sped up to get ahead of it. In my panicked state, I ended up turning to the left, and was lucky that the car next to me had someone who knew how to react quickly, because otherwise I would have hit them. I learned from this later and began keeping my eyes on the right side more on the freeway. My awareness of my surroundings rose and I took a valuable lesson from the experience.
Something I could do to drive safer is take a little more time on turns. This is especially true when I have a car blocking my view of the other lane. I have a habit of turning quickly, and although we keep an eye out for cars, sometimes I miss details in my rush to get into the parking lot or whatever building I may happen to be visiting that day.