If you had asked me what the importance of Driver’s Ed was when I was in high school, I would’ve said it was pointless, that I learned nothing. I was a sophomore waking up at 5 am everyday just to make it in time for the 6 am class so I wouldn’t have to make up even a minute of this course.I would do nothing but complain about the class. I would try to pay attention but I just could not get my brain to function that early in the morning, especially when I had a full day of classes and after school commitments ahead of me. My instructor had this phrase that he said every time someone complained about the course. “If you’re dedicated enough to wake up this early and get to class, then you’re dedicated enough to become a safe driver.”

Back then, this saying didn’t make any sense. I mean, I wasn’t the one driving myself to school, I couldn’t control when I got there, that’s why I was taking this course. But now, looking back on it, he wasn’t necessarily talking to us, he was talking to our role models, the ones who would ultimately be with us behind the wheel. Even though the parents and guardians driving the students to school didn’t hear this saying, I wish they could’ve and listened to it more intently.

Oftentimes, I am scared to drive. I myself haven’t gotten my license yet for reasons not pertaining to driver’s safety, but it is a thought I constantly have when my friends or family are behind the wheel. Both my father and my brother are speed demons. They love to tear up the highway in their Chevy Impala’s. I wish they wouldn’t. I often see my life flash before my eyes when I am in a car with them behind the wheel. They constantly reassure me that they are safe about it, but I don’t like their track record. Both of them have been in plenty of collisions. None of these collisions have been their fault. Most of them due to other reckless driver’s hitting them while they were driving safely. But, I think it is unconsciously raising their confidence to continue their reckless driving. This is why I think Driver’s Ed is so important, because I think they often forget just how dangerous their driving is.

My father never went to Driver’s Ed. He grew up in Houston, Texas where my grandmother unfortunately couldn’t afford to send both of her children to Driver’s Ed, so my dad waited until 18 to get his license. I don’t know what the course was like in the 90s, I’m sure it has improved since then, but maybe some in class time would’ve helped him understand the dangers of his driving. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t drive recklessly all the time, he’s relatively safe most days. But when he does drive recklessly, it can be pretty scary. I think my brother just followed in his footsteps, he always looked up to my father. In school, he never truly paid attention unless he was interested in the subject, and I know that he very much was not interested in anything at 6 in the morning. So I don’t think he paid too much attention either.

Steps can be taken to reduce reckless driving, such as my father and brother participate in. I, for one, don’t think that anyone is truly paying attention during 6 am Driver’s Ed classes, so making them integrated in high school schedules or even making them strictly after school might help with retention rate of important information. I also think a week-long refresher driving course at least once a year might benefit old and new drivers to remind them to be safe on the road and that their actions have consequences. This course can be taken online or in person. Having this in addition to getting your driver's license renewed every couple of years might decrease the risk of collisions and unsafe driving. The course could feature things such as a refresher on safe speeds, what road signs mean, the consequences to your actions when you do drive unsafely, the consequences of driving impaired, etc. I think also making it required to take driver’s ed before obtaining your license will expand people’s knowledge of driving. There could be grants and scholarships offered to those who can’t afford to take the class.

All in all, I think Driver’s Ed is super important and something that people should care about. Imposing these possible changes might help with the outreach of safe driving to new drivers and reminding current drivers the importance of staying safe.