Driver education plays an important role in the development of alert, defensive drivers. As I neared my 14th birthday, I studied the manual from cover to cover and repeatedly took the online practice tests until I had memorized every fact in the book. I felt confident I knew the rules of the road and was prepared to get in a car and take a spin! I grew up driving golf carts, go carts, electric scooters, and vehicles around my grandparents’ farm, so driving wasn’t a new concept for me. I was familiar with gas and brake pedals and how to navigate a vehicle, but getting behind the wheel of a car, on a road, with many other cars coming in every direction, was an eye-opening experience!
My parents quickly enrolled me in a driver education program. The program was required for teenagers to obtain their school permit and drive to school without supervision. When I enrolled in this program, my main purpose was to get that school issued permit, which would give me freedom to get to my activities and school without my parents! What I didn’t expect was all the knowledge I would obtain about how to keep myself and others safe in many situations. At the start of the program, I could quote every fact in the book about how to drive, how to parallel park, how to navigate an interstate on/off ramp, etc. I thought I had it mastered, but the lessons not taught in the book are the lessons that are the most valuable and what I need to continue to remember to keep myself and others safe.
The most important lessons I took away from my driver’s education were not taught in a classroom. The lessons were taught while in the car, driving with my instructor and other students. These are not things you can read and study in a book. These lessons, about how to navigate situations, are not facts you can memorize, but they are more important than any fact in the book. The lessons involve critical thinking skills, common sense, and deliberate actions that you need to take in any situation to minimize any room for error while driving. I didn’t realize how quickly I would need to lean on those lessons. It wasn’t long before the legacy of those lessons would be needed.
Soon after my 16th birthday I was involved in a near head on collision on my way to work one afternoon. This accident resulted in three cars totaled, including mine. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries and all three parties walked away with only minor cuts and scrapes. I had my seatbelt on, as I always do, and my car was equipped with many advanced safety features, which helped me stay safe. I recall moments before the collision leaning on things my instructor said and making split second decisions to try to minimize injury to myself and others. I walked away from that accident with minor injuries that healed quickly, but the memories and lessons that I learned will stay with me forever. This experience was humbling for me, and costly, but I believe it was a wake-up call to how a split-second decision can result in a life changing experience.
The privilege to drive comes with a lot of responsibility. That was reinforced in every lesson taught by the driving instructors, both in the classroom and in the vehicle. The lessons learned, such as always ensuring everyone is buckled up, turning off my phone and putting it away, using hands free devices/controls, keeping a safe distance between you and other vehicles, driving the speed limit, never operating a vehicle when under the influence of any chemical, being alert and monitoring my surroundings are critical to keeping myself, my passengers, and others around me safe and reduce the chances of death, if I am in an accident again.
As I head off to college, I will be driving more than I had previously and will be in an unfamiliar place. In preparation for that, I am learning how to care for my car to ensure it is in tip-top shape before any trip. This involves checking the tires, oil levels, fluids, and lights. Keeping my car under good maintenance will ensure I can see clearly with bright headlines, ensure that the car doesn’t have any mechanical failures and ensure that the car is functioning properly. In addition to the physical things, I can take care of on my car, I am learning how to navigate the roads to school. I’m driving to and from campus for different events and navigating the bigger interstates and exchanges between my home and the school campus. This will ensure I am familiar with the roads and where to go so I am not relying on phone directions or signs, which may take my eyes off the road. While at school, I plan to minimize driving, by using campus transportation, as much as possible. This will reduce my time in the vehicle and exposure to situations that could cause accidents.