Plenty of people skip drivers' education and label it as a waste of time. It’s an easy thing to skip over- surely, there won't be a problem with your parents teaching you, right? Your parents have been driving for decades, you’ve been in the car with them plenty of times, they can teach you better than an instructor. However, this is a terrible misconception to make. Drivers’ education teaches skills that go beyond “convenient” driving, as well as exact steps to take in the event of an emergency, planning for things your parents might have never seen or heard of. Knowing what to do in dangerous situations can take the one to two seconds you have to react from not enough time, to just enough time. The truth of it is, most people say if they had one or two more seconds to react, they could have avoided an accident- but in reality, they were too uninformed to react appropriately and safely. Lastly, drivers’ education covers awareness, giving you more time to react to dangerous situations, or to avoid them completely. The best defense is to avoid the situation. By training drivers to constantly be watching their surroundings, checking into any open window to your surroundings, it saves countless lives. Not just those of drivers, but the lives of pedestrians and passengers as well. Drivers’ education should absolutely be taken by as many people as possible.
In terms of steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, there are too many to list- however, we can start with some of the more common-sense items. It is estimated that over ten thousand people die in drunk driving accidents every year; which only takes into account alcohol, and not any other widespread drugs such as marijuana. For the people who never drive under the influence, still more can be done to improve safety. Always performing pre-drive checks is one- by ensuring your cars’ functionality you ensure you won’t have to make any rash decisions while driving to account for emergency situations relating to your own vehicle. Lastly, one of the most beneficial things to remember is that awareness of ones’ surroundings staves off emergency in almost every situation. Constant vigilance while driving to watch for pedestrians, obstructions in the road, or dangerous and aggressive drivers can save countless lives.
I have personally witnessed countless dangerous situations where people I was in the car with could not handle the responsibility of driving safely- anything from driving while impaired to engaging in aggressive driving behaviors with another motorist. It is, frankly, terrifying. Your entire existence is in the hands of another person who is easily controlled by their emotions, or might not have the training to drive safely. Thankfully, now that I have the ability to drive, I can take the wheel in place of people who should not be driving in situations like these- but I certainly can’t forget the feeling of being in an unsafe drivers’ car.
One step I take to be a better driver is remembering that no matter what, driving safely will save more time than driving unsafely. It is important to ask yourself if it will take more time to make that extra U-turn, or if it will take more time to be admitted to a hospital via ambulance and stretcher. If you are constantly worried about being late, leave earlier or allow more time for preparation so you can avoid placing yourself in dangerous situations. I also try to focus on driving safely regardless of what the people around me are doing. Be it tailgating, honking, or anything similar, there are easy steps to take to remain safe and ensure you reach your destination unharmed. I struggled with being tailgated for a long time, living and driving on long country roads, and so I had to learn that when this happens you must simply hold your speed and focus on the road ahead of you. Of course, allowing more notice for when you plan to break, turn, or slow down can give even the rudest driver time to reconsider their positioning, and might save you a fortune or your life. Finally, keep an open mind when it comes to learning to be a better driver. Too many people become confident in their skills, and end up complacent. You can always improve, always be safer, and always be a better motorist- and no one should ever forget it.