In day to day life, driving is one of the most utilized means of how we get from one place to another. We spend hours in the car every week traveling to our work, school, jobs, home, and so on. When it comes to driving, we believe that because we do it daily and essentially by muscle memory, that we don’t have to focus on it as much. Unfortunately, dazing off is dangerous, and one of the many causes of fatal car crashes that happen every single day. Not only does a lack of focus cause accidents each year, but other factors such as being under the influence of alcohol or other substances, tiredness, phone distractions, other drivers, and even passengers are worrisome. By educating drivers on the dangers associated with driving as well as best practices, driver’s education fosters an added sense of responsibility, awareness, and hopefully commitment to safer driving.
Driver’s education teaches basic rules on how to drive safely and responsibly in order to educate students (as they are in the stage of life of having a learner’s permit) so they will be more mindful and prepared once they enter their community as a licensed driver. Driver's education can be so impactful and helpful for peers and myself. Even if I do not pick up my phone to read or type a text, it can still impair my ability to drive due to the distractions of notifications, both visually and with haptics or sound. At all times while driving, I need to be aware of my surroundings because the consequence of distraction can change my entire future, along with the future of potentially innocent others on the road.
Phones distract due to notifications and stem from the desire to know what’s happening in personal lives, as well as staying connected with others immediately versus waiting. There was a time my friend was on her phone and we were exiting the highway to get to our destination. She was so distracted that she didn’t notice the cars on the exit were hitting their breaks and piling up a line. I had to scream at her to stop because in her distracted state, she didn’t notice the cars stopping so quickly and abruptly. If I wasn’t there, I honestly cannot say she would have come out unscathed because her distracted driving would have caused a horrible accident. In order to maintain safe and healthy roadways, a driver needs to implement self control, delayed gratification, an honest assessment of urgency, and be aware of the facts and statistics of teenage fatalities due to driving accidents.
Many articles count car accidents as one of the top killers of teenagers today. Teenagers need the awareness that their carelessness can cause their own death, and the potential death or dismemberment of others. One Halloween night when I was younger, I decided to go to a high school party with a friend and her older peers. What I did not know going into that night was that it would change my life and the way I view driving. My friend and I got into the car to head to our second party of the night after her friends had been drinking. I asked multiple times if her friend was okay to drive because I had seen her drinking but she continually stated “I am fine.” In my heart, I knew she wasn't “fine” as through the entire ride she was speeding and recognizably intoxicated. As she swerved left to right, almost hitting other cars, I was sitting in the back seat holding onto the handles, fearful for my life. Feeling my heart pounding during this ride caused so much anxiety and made me wonder if this would be my last night alive. This is not an experience I wish on anyone, nor do I want to experience again.
From that day on, I never stepped foot in a car with anyone who was impaired or unable to drive. For these reasons, it is clear that driver’s education is vital for everyone, especially teenagers, as it can change the whole trajectory of someone’s precious life. I have committed to never touch my phone while driving, and to opt for another way to get to a location if I am feeling slightly impaired in any way, tired or otherwise. I fully believe in the importance and lasting impact of driver’s education courses, as I believe the information and awareness can truly save lives.
There are many tactical ways that I believe communities can take to promote safer driving among teenagers. I think the communities should stress the importance of driver’s education courses through community Facebook pages and newsletters to educate parents, and that cities should offer free driver’s education courses for students whose school does not offer it. It would be great if there was a training course that adult volunteers could take (who have good driving records) to become community teachers of driver’s education as well. Additionally, I believe that young adults like myself can have an impact by way of our use of social media and influencing. If more teens talked on a platform to other teens about distracted driving with genuine stories and experiences, it would be particularly meaningful. All in all, driver’s education and safety on the roads is always crucial to any community, no matter the size. It is with a joint effort that young adults can be educated and advocates of driver’s education.