What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number deaths as a result of driving?
When I first learned how to drive a car, I was so excited. I loved the potential independence having a driver's license would offer. I quickly learned it was not as easy as my parents made it appear. Driving a car is not just about your skills in navigating a 4,000-pound vehicle capable of doing tremendous damage but also being able to predict how those around you are driving their vehicles. In Illinois, we are required to complete six three-hour in-class sessions, six hours of instructor hands-on driving, and a minimum of 50 hours of permit driving before we can get our license. This extensive education program, implemented in 2006, has resulted in 50% lower teen deaths over the past 15 years, based on a 2017 Chicago Tribune article.
I had the unique experience of learning how to drive during COVID. I had just finished behind-the-wheel instructor sessions when COVID resulted in all driving schools being closed due to social distancing requirements. With nothing to do, my mom decided that every Saturday, we would explore every possible forest preserve within two hours of our home. She made me drive to each location to help me learn how to drive. With most people staying home, the roads were relatively empty, and I was able to practice everything involved in gaining driving experience. We went on and off the highway for over two hours on the way to one forest preserve. Mastering the cloverleaf on and off ramps is one of the most challenging things in Illinois highway driving. I was able to practice navigating left turns, right turns, and even U-turns through these Saturday adventures. The education I received from my in-class instructor and my behind-the-wheel instructor provided the foundation needed to then put into practice to gain the confidence to be a safe driver. I am now 19 and have only received one ticket and no accidents.
What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?
The two most important things that can be done to reduce the number of traffic accidents related to driving are experience behind the wheel and the reduction of distracted driving. Anything you are trying to master only comes with practice. Getting behind-the-wheel experience with a parent or driving instructor who gives guidance and feedback is the only way to really gain the skills and knowledge needed to drive a vehicle. Illinois has a fifty-hour minimum requirement for driving hours before you can get your licenses, but I know many friends who lied on their application and only had about 20-30 hours. These friends were always bad drivers. It was not because they were stupid or incompetent at driving; it was because they didn’t have enough practice. I saw the same situation in my sister, who hated to drive, so she only had the fifty minimum hours when she got her license. To this day, two years later, her confidence behind the wheel is still shaky.
The second factor to reduce driving incidents is to remove distracted driving. It is amazing how many accidents happen due to people looking at their phones, cleaning their cars, putting on makeup, eating food, and doing everything else other than focusing on driving. Often, these incidents impact pedestrians or people riding bikes or scooters. Just last week, a friend in my English class came in with a scraped-up arm and a large cut on his leg. He said it was the result of a driver turning right at a red light and not noticing he was at the crosswalk because the driver was on his phone. While my friend was only slightly injured, it proved how driving around campus and not being focused on the students around you can cause tremendous harm. If there was a way to prevent people from focusing on other things besides the road, there would be fewer distracted driving incidents.
Have you ever had an experience of being in car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?
While I have been fortunate not to ever be in an accident, I did have a cousin who totaled her car eight hours after getting her driver's license. Like my comments above, she barely had the fifty minimum driving hours to get her license and was more confident than she should have been based on her experience level. She and a friend were driving on a very busy road and failed to yield to an oncoming car while turning left because she was looking at her phone for directions. Her inexperience with the area where she was driving and the speed at which the traffic flowed on that road was above her driving experience. As a new driver, she should have stayed closer to home and recognized that her skills were not yet at a level where she could handle the area and the situation. Thankfully, both she, the friend, and the other driver were not injured.
What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?
The two steps I believe can help me and others become safer drivers include practicing and reducing distractions. While getting practice driving hours can be difficult for both the student and the parents, I think raising the number required to get a driver's license should be 75-100 with a way to force documented proof. I know my confidence was the result of the close to 200 hours of practice driving I received during our Saturday COVID adventures, and it turned me into a solid driver. The second is to leverage technology to remove distractions. Through the power of AI, I believe cars will soon be able to tell when a driver's focus is not 100% on the road and can use either voice guidance or technology to remind the driver to keep their focus on the road. Cars today already have outside sensors to help make corrections when drivers are not paying attention. I am confident this will evolve to make even safer cars in the future.