To be able to drive is an incredible thing- an incredibly freeing thing, that many people my age consider to be part of the coming-of-age experience. To be able to take yourself anywhere you could want to go opens up your entire world and allows you to discover more of who you are. However, despite how wonderful the experiences that I describe may sound; the road can be incredibly dangerous as well and it is important to stay sharp, to stay informed, to stay cautious, in order to stay safe - in order to stay alive. I aim to effectively communicate the deep importance of driver education and training in reducing automobile casualties.
When it comes to driver training, I have personally taken several measures to make sure I was getting as much information as possible. I learned from my mother in parking lots and empty roads in order to gain experience more safely. After a while of practice, every place that we could go together, I insisted on taking us there with her to watch over me. In addition to this, I also utilized the official manual from my state’s DMV to make flashcards, quiz myself, and read up on traffic rules and violations. I watched many videos demonstrating specific skills such as parallel parking, how to make a 3 point turn, the rules to parking on a hill, and so on. I also took driving lessons with my school and a private instructor. In my area, we are required to go through extensive driver training in order to be allowed to park in the high school parking lot. Part of the training required by the school was a full day's worth of watching videos about young drivers, learning about statistics, as well as answering multiple choice and short response questions. For example, the restricted license prohibits drivers from transporting more than 2 peers in their age group at one time because according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, “the risk of a teen driver being involved in a car accident increases when other teenagers are in the car”. And in the year 2022, 56% of the deaths for teenage passengers occurred in vehicles driven by other teens.
I believe that proper training and education on the road can be the difference between a casual drive, and a brush with death. The older I’ve gotten, the more experience I have behind the wheel, and I can say without a doubt that because I took professional courses, I have become a safer, better driver than the majority of my community. For example, while it may be easier or more convenient to merge or change lanes after a quick glance in your side mirrors, I have been taught that you should always fully turn around in order to check your blind spots on either side of your vehicle. I have had several extremely close calls in the past that I know could have been deadly if I had chosen to change lanes without thinking to turn around. I also know that when living in an area that has more forests and open land like I do, It is incredibly important to know how to behave around animals on the road. I have been taught that in a scenario where an animal has come into the road, it is best to fully stop, or hit the animal straight on but never to swerve. Swerving out of the way of an animal is a good way to land yourself and your car in a ditch, off the side of the road, or straight into a collision with another car, tree, or any other obstacle.
In the past year I personally got into a very scary accident on the highway while on the way back home from visiting family. While I was driving, a deer ran out into the road less than 50 feet in front of my car, leaving me with a very difficult choice. I knew that if I swerved into the other lane that the deer would come crashing through my windshield, and that if I tried to brake without enough time, the same would happen. Instead, I chose to accelerate and stay where I was, allowing the deer to instead hit the front corner of my car and roll down. Because I learned what to do in this scenario, instead of being gravely injured, I was only scared and shaken up. I was also able to get away with only aesthetic damage to my car, allowing me to make it all the way back home in one piece.
As cautious as I try to be, everyone can always get better. I think if I were to take steps to be a better driver I could make sure that I am turning off cell-phone notifications so that I am not tempted to check my phone, even at lights. I would also work to become better at recognizing landmarks and train my directional capabilities so that I can make better decisions about routes without having to divide my attention to a map. I would also like to keep being a courteous driver and working with others on the road, letting someone turn ahead of you could encourage them to be more patient and make safer decisions. Education and perspective is always important, but especially when it comes to dealing with the public like so many of us do on the road every day. I firmly believe that better drivers will lead to a safer public.