Driving education is crucial to understanding the rules of the road. Without being properly taught driving skills, it not only becomes more difficult to drive individually but becomes exponentially more dangerous for other drivers. Close to 40,000 people die each year due to car accidents within the United States, with an estimated 30% of those accidents being attributed to inexperience by the U.S. government. That does not include the over 1 and a half million non-fatal car accidents that occur in the United States each year. Proper driver education can and will heavily reduce not only the number of fatal car accidents but also car accidents in general. Learning not only how to drive on the road, but also how to watch other drivers, properly maintain your vehicle, and properly signal to others on the road makes driving much safer for those involved.
Teaching those skills, or generally any form of driving education is crucial to maintaining safe and orderly roadways. It's not just teaching that is important but also the driver’s actions and attention while on the road. Around 10% of all car accidents in the United States are caused by distracted drivers. Whether it's texting and driving or turning around to address a passenger, a lack of focus on the road is often fatal. It is harmful not only to yourself but also to other drivers and can put many people’s lives in danger.
While the importance of paying attention when driving is often stressed in schools, many people are not truly impacted by these messages. For me, it is a major concern of mine when driving since I have personal experience of the damage it can cause. Two years ago, I witnessed one of my friends pass away in a car accident and it has stuck with me since. After the fact, I learned that my friend had been texting and driving. It has been incredibly difficult for me to get over her passing, especially since she was a diligent student, kind person, and empathetic friend, yet one bad decision caused her to lose her life and injure several others around her. It is especially hard for me because others oftentimes do not understand the significance that one simple choice can have. It's something that has majorly affected my life and my choices over the past few years.
It is incredibly important for people to understand the damage that inattention while driving causes. It doesn’t just affect drivers, but passengers, onlookers, bikers, family, and friends. One action can change the lives of people forever. Expressing that further to learning drivers and even experienced drivers is an important step to making roadways safer for everyone.  Informing those around you of your experiences helps them understand not only that this is an extremely common issue but that this is something that everyone needs to work on together. Because even if you are doing everything right you cannot control the actions of others.
It is not only important to practice your driving but also to practice working with your vehicle, as well as to know how your vehicle works so you can properly learn to safely drive not only day to day, but also during conditions like harsh weather, heavy traffic, and on uneven roadways. There are many times where it will be necessary to drive even in unfavorable conditions and knowing how to drive in those conditions makes driving that much safer.  All of these things should be expected for drivers to learn because of the impact they have on driving skills and behavior on the road.
These skills should not only be taught to others but also practiced even when no one is watching. It is important for drivers to develop good habits while on the road. That way when others are watching, drivers are setting a good example, not only for other drivers but people who may learn to drive in the future. Setting an example for others is a good way to encourage good behavior and safety on the road. In addition to these punishments such as fines, and tickets are great for preventing continued bad behavior and getting unsafe drivers off the road, even if temporarily. Continuing to punish bad drivers for misconduct will help to decrease these behaviors and keep drivers that much safer in the long run. Practicing all of these things, even one at a time, will help improve your driving and the driving of those around you. It makes the roadways safer and more secure for everyone.