The problem is that driving was included on the list of the most risky things individuals regularly did, despite being thought of as one of the most ingrained behaviors. In the United States alone, roads claim the lives of over 34,000 people a year, which is more than all the American soldiers who lost their lives in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. The sense of responsibility that comes with operating a moving vehicle is beyond their comprehension. Driver education becomes essential for all of these reasons, not so that they can pass the test but so that the environment is safer.
A full driver's education course has the potential to teach so much more than the mechanics of driving—it teaches what it is to be safe on the road. It encompasses the perils of careless or distracted driving and may even instill a lifetime safety-first attitude. Good driver education discourages a focus on simply passing a driving test, rather emphasizing a lifetime commitment to safety on the road.
History stands as proof that good driver education saves lives. Partly due to better driving education, public awareness campaigns, and much stronger traffic laws, deaths from motor vehicles began to fall dramatically from the late 1970s until the early 2010s. It is only in recent years that a few deaths have taken place because of driving with smartphones; the wider trend reflects how robust the training can be. Improvement within the programs offers the avenue of advancement.
Where personal responsibility is concerned, community awareness, technological innovation, and legislation all combine in an effort to create an atmosphere of traffic-death reduction. In that light, harsher punishment for reckless driving—specifically, distracted or intoxicated driving—is a deterrent. Public awareness programs, too, drive safe driving home through powerful messages and technological innovations that reduce human error—the number one contributor to traffic collisions.
Driver education forms the core of this endeavor. Refresher courses at schools, community centers, and online keep safety at the forefront of even the most seasoned driver's mind. For newer, less-seasoned drivers, active programs—driving courses in defensive driving or simulating driving emergencies—can build essential skills without putting the driver into actual hazards.
I have personally seen what happens as a result of driving unsafely. I well remember how one of my closest friends ever would take their eyes off the road to check their phone and almost had a terrible accident, and another family member would weave through traffic in an attempt to save a couple of minutes, placing both themselves and others in constant danger. All these experiences have left an indelible dent in my mind, crystallizing how even petty distractions or acts of impatience lead to devastating results. They made me realize that responsible driving was not just about compliance with the law or evasion of fines but respect for the lives on the road.
These are practices instigated in an effort to minimize risks and make me a safer driver. I always put my phone on "Do Not Disturb" mode whenever I am on the wheel and try as much as possible to avoid any activity that keeps me distracted from the road. I also strictly follow the speed limit and keep a reasonable following distance to reduce the occurrences of common accidents, like, for example, rear end. All of these practices will protect not only me but also those around me.
Off from my motivational drive, I motivate friends and family to practice safe driving by relaying the culture of safety in them through relating experiences to some startling statistics. I do believe in building a safety culture; even the littlest contributes ripples that alter others.
Driving is a big responsibility, and once again it is of such immense importance. With annual traffic crash deaths equivalent to many of the bloodiest wars in American history, driver education is among several required tools that could help drive down the fatalities and assist in building a culture of safety. It is more than likely that educating new drivers about the concept of risk and means to foster safer habits would thus have a much-needed positive impact on road safety.
Especially to a newly particular driver, it is important that he understands the grave consequences brought about by carelessness and recklessness. We can change these statistics by creating awareness, informing ourselves, and taking personal responsibility to make the roads much safer for anyone. Each time we get behind the wheel, a choice is to be made: safety over speed, attention over distraction, and responsibility over recklessness—all in memory of those lives lost to road accidents and in building a driving culture that is more considerate.