The Importance of Driver's Education

Requiring teens to take and pass drivers ed and behind-the-wheel is critical. Teens are known for taking risks and being impulsive, so it’s important for us to learn the laws, safe driving habits and techniques, and the risks of operating a motor vehicle. If you only learn from a friend or family member, you might miss out on really important information if they forget to tell you. Driver’s education ensures that won’t happen.

Addressing distracted driving seems like it would also be helpful in reducing the number of deaths related to driving. I don’t think drivers ed is effective at keeping teens off the phone when they are driving. Many kids struggle not to answer messages and calls because there is an odd sense of peer pressure to respond immediately. Everyone knows it’s unsafe and how it should be handled, but people still feel compelled to respond when they are driving. I’m not sure what would be an effective way to address it, but maybe schools could start addressing it as early as elementary school. I think younger kids are more likely to pay attention, especially if young people who have been directly affected by distracted driving are the ones delivering the message in person, instead of law enforcement or other adults.

I was personally involved in a car accident last year. A car crossed the road in front of me from a side street, causing me to hit them. Fortunately, I was paying attention and despite the wet road and poor visibility, I was able to slow my vehicle just enough to avoid hitting the driver’s side door and I struck the rear of the car instead. It was a low-speed accident, everyone was wearing seatbelts, and neither party sustained injuries, but the outcome could have been very different. The other driver said she was tired and in a hurry to get home, and simply hadn’t looked before crossing the road in front of me.

It’s the only accident I have been in since getting my license. I’m grateful that I did everything I had been taught in driver’s education--buckling up, checking my mirrors, driving the speed limit, and watching for drivers pulling out of side roads. Most importantly, neither of us was on our phone or otherwise distracted. Remembering all the things I did right that kept the accident from being worse will help me to be a better and safer driver in the future. I think that people start to get a little lazy about safety the longer they’ve been driving, especially if they haven’t been in any accidents or gotten a ticket in a long time. I think I can help other people be better, safer drivers by setting a good example, especially when I have passengers. Also, my brother will get his permit in January and I will be helping him learn how to drive, so I plan to teach him what I learned as a result of the accident.