Driver education is important in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving because driving is not a careless activity one can improvise. There is a reason why teens have to take a 3 week long intensive course before even getting in a car, why parents pay so much money for their kid be trained. Driving is not a right of passage like being old enough to stay home, it is a privilege that any adult needs to take seriously, and it comes with great responsibility that affects not only the driver, but everyone on the road.
To reduce the number of deaths related to driving, one can take driving courses. After getting my license, I went to a driving school in Virginia. This driving school taught me how to handle a car in difficult situations, like a vehicle skidding, needing to make an emergency stop, or turn sharply. We can accomplish the dangerous task while staying as safe as we can. The easiest step to take would be simply putting all belongings in the back seat, or better yet, the trunk. Not having access to a phone, make up, or food, forces one's attention to the road. I find myself even wanting to reach back and grab things from my backseat. It can be very tempting to get ready in the car when running late, or so one does not have to wake up as early. However, being late is always better than being dead or in a hospital.
Another way to be a safer driver is to not only work on one’s own driving and focusing skills, but to be aware of cars around you. Twice I have had to fill out police reports for being in a car accident. The first time I was with my dad, in a big truck, and we had been stopped at a red light for some time now. Another car came speeding up behind me and did not stop. Their car was totaled while we barely had a dent. The second time, I was driving down a straight highway. I could see my school in view when another car turned from a secondary road right in front of me. I had to stop very suddenly without flipping over my own car. This I learned in the Teen Driving Solutions program. Now my car was totaled, and they barely had a dent. While both times no one was badly hurt, both times it was not my fault. This shows that being aware of one’s surroundings while driving is just as important as being a careful driver.
Though being a safe driver is still very important, constant improvement should also remain a priority. Steps to improve one’s own driving could be holding the steering wheel correctly, keeping to the speed limits, maintaining space, controlling braking, and practicing. Most people believe that 9 and 3 are the correct positions for hand on a steering wheel, when in reality 10 and 2 are the correct positions for maximum turning radius. Making fast decisions and keeping aware of surroundings is even more difficult when driving fast, and if one is driving too slow, other drivers will not be expecting you or will get frustrated. Another rule to generally follow is staying 4 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you, especially if it is very small like a motorcycle, or very large like a truck holding logs of wood. 4 seconds behind means when the vehicle in front of you passes, say, a mailbox, 4 seconds later or more is when your vehicle should pass by that same point. A major reason for accidents is stopping suddenly and hitting each other, maintaining space greatly helps with that issue. Knowing how to brake is also important. Being able to stop suddenly without slamming on the break, and controlling how one brakes. Finally, while these are not the only steps one can take, practicing is of course a way to be a better driver. Driving in areas that one does not drive in day-to-day is something older drivers often look over when practicing.
While driving can seem fun, one day it is going to get tiring. Driving every single day, from place to place, it becomes one’s whole life. It gets boring and mundane. Boring is a fast gateway to not paying attention. And not paying attention is a fast gateway to causing or experiencing death while driving. The increased awareness gained through education helps to make better decisions when reaching dangerous situations, which can reduce accidents.