The first time I drove, I was eleven years old. My mother took me to an empty parking lot and I carefully made a few circles around. Even in this safe driving environment, I can clearly recall the fear that caused my arms to shake as I struggled to steer. Of course, the fear was not caused only by the ignorance to driving my 11-year-old self had. It is this very type of fear that often leads to driving decisions that result in tragic deaths.
Clearly, the only way to eliminate this fear is through drivers ed. With the proper education on how to handle the various situations driver’s may face, even a first time driver can have the confidence needed to drive safely. In short, drivers ed gives not only the analytical tools needed to properly drive, but gives the necessary emotional tools as well.
While drivers ed is indeed essential to reducing driving related deaths, there are various other steps that can be taken to further this reduction. One of the most important of these is re-normalizing safe driving habits. In today’s growing world of technology, it is more than common for drivers to reach for their phones carelessly. In fact, I cannot recall the last time I was a passenger in a car where the driver did not have their phone in their hand or lap throughout the drive. Despite the fact that something as quick as looking down to skip the song playing through the Bluetooth of the car can have devastating consequences, no one seems to bat an eye at the practice. Clearly, more efforts need to be put forth in emphasizing the positive impact that simply leaving your phone in your bag while driving can have on road safety. Even just getting a handful of individuals to commit to speaking up and requesting that friends and family keep their phone out of their hands while driving can lead to tremendous lowering of driving related deaths.
In fact, I myself must admit that I have partaken in these unsafe driving habits. However, to become a safer driver I will form a new habit of placing my phone in my purse as I get into the car and not removing it until I get to my destination. On top of this, I will insist that anybody who has me as a passenger do the same or allow me to take over driving responsibilities. In addition, I will continuously revisit the material I learned in my drivers ed courses to ensure that I have the proper knowledge to face every situation with confidence.
Through the growth of drivers ed and the continued efforts to spread awareness of the importance of safe driving habits, I believe that in coming years driving related deaths will decrease substantially.