The Importance Of Driver Ed
Driver education is an essential service to help keep Americans safe on the road. All too often we hear about fatal incidents in which irresponsible drivers face massive, life-altering consequences. Many people often drive irresponsibly without even realizing it. Think, if you’re late to an important meeting, would you speed? Most people would answer yes as an obvious choice. Now, what if that speeding could result in the paralysis of another passenger? Would you think twice about flooring the pedal to make it through that light? Most likely, you’d say yes to this as well. However, we aren’t given a notice as to when our irresponsible actions will result in major consequences. By choosing to drive irresponsibly, we not only gamble our own lives, but the lives of those around us too.
There’s a reason driver education is mandated in high schools across America. Before putting us on the road, we’re shown graphic clips of high-speed crashes caused by irresponsible drivers in an attempt to make us think twice before we get behind the wheel. Alongside these videos we practice real-life scenarios in which we challenge our decision making to determine what the responsible choices are that we should be making as drivers. Without this education, many kids would go into this new chapter of their life blinded by the excitement of this newfound freedom. It’s true then when our adrenaline kicks in, we’re more likely to make irresponsible decisions. This idea holds true to getting your license; most kids immediately take the car out for a “spin” in celebration of passing their test. However, this “spin” often turns deadly, as many kids rush out into the car and speed down residential roads, “tasting the freedom.” Driver Ed reminds us that each time we get behind the wheel of a vehicle, we grapple with decisions like this. We must choose how we drive, whether or not we’re going to drive responsibly, and if we’re willing to take the risks. With Driver Ed classes, students not only learn how to make responsible decisions on the road, but how to best protect themselves when others on the road are making irresponsible decisions. It is my firm belief that Driver Ed should continue after one obtains their license, as it teaches essential rules and strategies to keep ourselves and each other safe on the roads.
Steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths while driving vary depending on the situation. One important step could be to utilize breathalyzers in every vehicle. So many motor vehicle collisions are caused by DUIs, something that could be easily preventable with a breathalyzer placed in the car. Usually put into the cars of repeat DUI offenders, these breathalyzers prohibit the car from starting if your BAC is over the legal limit. This would help to prevent drunk drivers from putting themselves and others at risk on the road, and I believe they should be placed into every car. Another step to reduce deaths are speed warnings on cars. Some new cars have this feature and it’s primary usage is to prohibit users from going way over the legal limit. This feature notifies the driver, making them think twice about their decisions to speed. Although not 100% effective, just a second thought about your choice could be enough to make someone hit the brakes, and consequently, save the life of themselves or another.
Although I’ve never been in a car accident myself, I’ve witnessed the long term effects that accident-related injuries can have. My grandpa, an overall healthy 80 year old man, was hit from the side by a distracted driver while coming out of the doctors office. This accident ruined him- his ability to walk, think, hear, and do everyday activities declined at a rapid rate due to the results of his accident. His health was never a problem prior to the accident, but after suffering from broken ribs and a broken sternum, his body was not able to heal itself the way a young man's body would. He’s no longer able to drive and has suffered brain fog for the past two years since the accident. All of this- his entire life- could’ve been unaltered if the woman who hit him wasn’t on her phone. Despite her irresponsible actions, my grandpa was the one that suffered. Irresponsibility on the road doesn’t always affect the person driving, but it can alter the course of another person's life irregardless.
Things that I can do to be a better driver include: enabling my speed notifier on my car to automatically beep when I go over the speed limit, making sure to keep a safe following distance, and reminding myself that to drive defensively does not mean to drive aggressively. I drive an SUV and so it’s often easy to go over the speed limit without realizing due to the size of the car. My speed monitor alerts me when I’m going over, reminding me to slow down because speeding is never worth somebody’s life. I also need to focus on my own defensive driving, especially when people around me are driving aggressively. The best thing I can do is to not engage with other aggressive drivers and simply wait until the threat has passed, both for my safety and that of those around me. Finally, sharing these tips with my friends and starting conversations about the impacts of irresponsible driving will help myself and others to become safer on the roads. It’s important to always keep talking about the effects of irresponsible driving and to make sure that all drivers are educated and well-rounded drivers.