In other areas of the world, it’s more common to have public transport or live in an area that promotes walking. However, in the US, it’s normal for people to know how to drive. From a young age, we’re all expected to get our licenses before we leave high school. We have lots of elderly folk who have had their license for decades. We also have many teenagers who are expected to get their license by the age of 16, maybe younger. Drivers’ Education is the first step to all that. It is extremely important as it presents the set of rules we need to follow on the road. Taking the time to take the classes expands our world, it gives us freedom and independence as teenagers. It allows us to connect with family members, friends, and loved ones across the country. It educates us on how to work alongside other people on the road and build confidence in our skills. However, the consequences of reckless driving and a lack of education do not discriminate. They can happen to anybody at any time. But what happens to those who barely pass the test? Those who are a little older? Those who don’t understand the risks that come with their actions? What do we do when we put people who lack practice and confidence on the road with other people?

My father was hit by a drunk driver. This driver hadn’t listened to the risks of driving or the severity of his actions. Unfortunately, my father didn’t make it. Because of an action that might not have mattered to the driver, my mother became a single parent and I became a daughter who never got to meet her father. I would like to say that I don’t know anyone who’s gotten hurt, I would like to say that my father is alive and well. However, many people on the road make these mistakes every day. Whether it be taking a sip of a drink or thinking that this one time you blew past a stop sign, it could be the reason for someone losing a parent, a child, or a loved one. The reality of driver education is that there’s a lack of awareness regarding the risks of driving and putting drivers on the road re-educating those who either lack confidence or just need a refresher. The importance of driver’s ed is the repeated practice of what you’ve learned, keeping that knowledge fresh in your brain could be the difference between a close call and a call from the hospital. Re-educating people of all ages could help them remember things that weren’t covered well enough in a lesson or refresh them on decades of new laws that have passed.

To minimize casualties, it’s good to start small. The first step in reducing the number of deaths related to driving would be to raise awareness. People can look at a statistic but not comprehend what that might mean for them, and discussing them in places where people can pay attention decreases the chances of people being reckless. Raising awareness can start as small as dedicating a bit of time to talk about this on blogs, forums, and discussion boards. Dedicating days to talk about it in a high school assembly or a work setting can help with awareness. Bringing attention to the issue makes it easier to solve the problem. On a larger scale, the government could do something such as mandating occasional retakes of the driver’s test when new legislation is passed or if their license has expired. This keeps a lot of people up to date and lessens the debate as to which laws are right or wrong. Having people retake the test also helps with repetition and awareness of any habit that could be detrimental on the road. Everyone must be on the same page so that no one gets hurt. Regulating these retakes reduces stigma and boosts others’ confidence as well.

All these steps are important but normalizing the discussion of the importance of Drivers’ Education starts with you. The steps that I will personally be taking to become a better driver is to keep practicing and refreshing what I know about the road. I once lacked the confidence to drive around my neighborhood at the time but I’m now in a position where I can drive through busier areas. Because of consistent practice and staying updated with Driver Ed, I consider myself to be a safe driver. As for helping others improve on the road, I can simply encourage them to keep re-educating themselves, inform them about the consequences of the risks they take while driving, and be cautious.