When you are 16 years old being behind the wheel of a car is really all you think about. You can’t wait for the day you are handed keys to your own car or maybe you borrow your moms’ minivan and you suddenly have a newfound freedom that you never imagined. You are dying to get on the highway, hit a back country road and drive at speeds your parents tell you to never go. when you are young the speed limit and laws you spent a year learning are the last thing you think about because you want to show off to your friends or simply get away from the stresses of the day by listening to the radio at full volume and driving like nothing else matters. Yes, the last thing on your mind at the age of 16 is drivers’ education, but it’s so important to step back and learn the proper way to operate a vehicle before you get behind the wheel. Driving can be a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of responsibility. Getting behind the wheel of a car puts both your life and those around you in danger if you have not learned the laws or proper driving procedures, more important than learning them however is remembering to follow them. Drivers education is important in helping to reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by car accidents. It teaches teens and adults how to safely be behind the wheel of a car, remain calm when in stressful situations and when to make the right choice and not get behind the wheel at all, instead calling for a Designated driver or uber to get you home safely.
Beyond drivers’ education for teenagers, adults can also continue to learn drivers’ safety as the years pass. It is estimated that nearly 44,680 deaths happened in the United States alone in the year 2024 due to car accidents. These accidents were caused by everything from drunk driving, texting while driving, speeding, to some simply happening because a driver was not focused on the road. If parents, teens and drivers in general simply slowed down, paid attention and followed the state driving laws taught to them during their driver’s education many accidents would have the chance to be nothing more then a small fender bender or they could be prevented all together. Imagine a day when you listen to the news and never hear about a death caused in an accident on the road, It may seem impossible now but it could happen in the future not only with the help of drivers education but also with changes to the cars we drive. Both go hand in hand in so many ways.
I never realized how important my own driving classes were until very recently, when I was in a car accident. I think God daily that I am still here. I was involved in a head on collision in February by a driver running from the police. He was speeding and sadly decided that entering my lane was the best option. The accident was really bad, it lead toa week long hospital stay , several major surgeries with more planned for the future. Lots of OT and PT sessions but the worst part isn’t that my car was totaled or that I now have a rod in my leg. No, the worst part is that I have had to finish most of my senior year at home, missing out on so many experiences and memories I will never get back. I was simply on my way home from a new job when it happened out of nowhere and so suddenly, I didn’t even realize until it was too late. I would give anything to go back to that day and change the outcome but here I am sharing a few details and trying to move forward with the future, applying for colleges, scholarships and planning on attending college in the fall of 2025.
As someone who was in a bad accident, I believe drivers education really is important. But what’s more important is what you take away from it is how you handle yourself behind the wheel of a car. Be smart when you are driving, think of those around you when you make decisions. Always be present behind the wheel. Remember that phone call, text or change of the station can wait until you are parked. pay attention to your surroundings and don’t be in a hurry because you are not the only person on the road.