Driver's education is important, especially amongst teens, because it equips the driver with all the necessary information to keep them and others safe as well as enhance road safety. Drivers education teaches the importance of safety driving norms such as wearing seat belts, following traffic laws, understanding traffic signs such as driving the posted speed limits whether it's the maximum or minimum limit, and recognizing potential hazards like other drivers, pedestrians and animals, as well as use of cellular devices which poses as a distraction to drivers. Not only does it teach safe driving skills and regulations but it also teaches how to maneuver in unordinary circumstances as well as basic vehicle maintenance. With drivers education, all of these awarenesses could lead to a reduction in the number of fatalities caused by reckless or uninformed driving.
Distracted driving is listed as the leading cause of accidents worldwide. This includes eating and drinking, fiddling with the radio, and having multiple passengers. The most alarming distraction, especially amongst teens, is paying attention to the phone weather talking or texting and drunk driving. Some other factors are not having proper maintenance of the vehicle and not getting proper rest before driving. To reduce these factors, you can either eat before or after a driving or take proper breaks to eat while on road trips. Set your radio station and all other controls such as temperature and GPS. While some cars are Bluetooth capable and some states allow hands-free talking, it is best to limit phone interactions as much as possible. With this, knowing the state laws is important as some states do not allow talking and driving at all. It is also important to check simple things like tire pressure, windshield wipers, and lights before driving to ensure there are reduced instances of tire blowouts while driving or running into rainy or stormy weather. And most importantly, get proper rest as most fatalities from restlessness usually happens when you are near your destination.
Though I have been fortunate enough to not have been in any accidents resulting from driving irresponsibly, I have been in an accident in which my father was driving at night and a deer ran out into the road hitting the truck. Thankfully, he was paying attention, not speeding, and his lights were working properly. He was able to see the deer and maintained proper control of the vehicle which caused the deer to only hit the front side. If he was irresponsible as a driver and not having taken the measures in which he did, he could have easily lost control making the impact worse. My mother was involved in an accident and while she was not at fault, she was hit by another driver which caused her airbags to deploy and totaled her car. The driver of the other vehicle was young, driving under the influence, speeding at night, and had a car full of children; all signs of a distracted and uneducated driver.
Some steps that I can take being a teenage driver myself, is to remain educated! Know the rules of the road and all state regulations. I have noticed that some cities and states have road signs that are different from what I am accustomed to seeing in my area so being aware of this and learning what they mean is very important as a driver. Other steps include wearing my seatbelt at all times as a driver or passenger and making sure others are wearing theirs as well. Making sure that I maintain a safe driving speed is crucial. Some people aren't aware that there are also minimum driving speeds on highways. This to me is important because driving slower than high paced traffic can also lead to accidents especially when others aren't paying attention to your speed versus the traffic speed. I am also cognizant of maintaining proper distance for situations that may require quick, unforeseen occurrence. As a fairly new driver, I am always talking to my friends about being more responsible with their driving, especially when I'm a passenger in their car. My parents and I like to play games when traveling, identifying new signs and giving what they mean so that I am more well versed as a driver. We also like to throw out "what if" scenarios to see how the other would react in certain circumstances. Doing this helped me to prepare for driving and added to the education I received during my drivers training.