The importance of driver education cannot be overstated. Every year thousands of people die in preventable car accidents that could have been prevented if the laws on the road were followed. To enforce laws, people have to know about them first. That is where driver’s education comes in. Driver’s education should teach perspective drivers not only the basics of driving, but also how to safely drive. To do this, first-time drivers should have to take an education course on the laws of the road and safe distances to follow other drivers. There should also be education on how to drive in possibly dangerous conditions like rain or snow. Personally, I am still alive today because of drivers' education courses. There was an instance where I was driving and it started to rain, and then the unthinkable happened, I started to hydroplane. At first, I was terrified, but then I remembered my education. I remembered not to brake, and slow down while staying calm. Without this lesson in driving, I gained from class; I may have panicked and something awful could have happened. Education is the first step in decreasing driver deaths, but not the only step. To reduce deaths on the road, law enforcement needs to enforce policies of safe driving. A good idea would be for police to wait outside bars on busy nights to get drunk drivers off the road. There could also be a reward for those who report distracted or drunk drivers to incentivize those who follow the laws and punish those who do not. Another great way to encourage people to stay safe is by advertising voice commands on phones for texting or song searching. This still may not be safe for the road, but it is better than the alternative of looking at your phone to text while driving. Safety on the road is not just a statistic to me; I know from personal experience just how scary reckless drivers can be. Throughout my life I have been in several car accidents, they have ranged from slightly unnerving to absolutely frightening. The one I remember most fluidly is when I was a child in the back of my mom’s minivan. It was surreal to go from a normal drive to spinning out of control in the span of a few seconds. I had no idea what happened for several seconds, I was in shock. The next thing I remember was my mom asking, “Is everyone ok?” with a panic in her voice. Thankfully my family and I were ok, but definitely a little shaken up. To this day I still do not know how the other driver crashed into my mom’s car. The other car just came out of nowhere and I assume the driver was distracted or speeding. That experience reinforced to me the importance of paying attention to the road and wearing my seat belt. Unfortunately, not everyone learns a lesson from getting into a car crash and continues to drive irresponsibly. I have friends who have gotten into accidents while looking at their phone or talking to someone. I had a friend in high school who drove to Starbucks with his friends while not even having a permit! I just remember thinking about how grossly incompetent that was and how badly that situation could have ended. To become a safer driver, I need to make sure that my car is road-ready and safe to go. I do this by making sure every passenger has a seatbelt on, keeping mirrors in the proper position, and making sure the front and back windows are not covered by fog or dust. I also look in both directions no matter which direction I am turning, and I am constantly on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists. Not only do I take steps to make my own driving safer, but I also help others as well. I had the opportunity to supervise my cousin while she was learning to drive, and it was a great teaching experience. The biggest thing was keeping her calm while she was driving. I also instructed her on how to hold her hands on the steering wheel as well as when she should use her turn signal while merging. Ultimately, my instructions became a blueprint for her to learn on her own and go on to get her license. I feel so proud to have helped influence her to become a safe driver and hopefully she can do the same for others!