The Importance of Driver's Educaton

    The Importance of Driver’s Education                     

  

     The importance of driver's education in reducing the number of deaths is immeasurable. Driver’s education teaches the rules of the road that were created to keep everyone safe. It helps us know the laws for vehicles, bikers and pedestrians.  These driving laws are put in place for every driver's safety. Drivers education also focuses on defensive driving. Defensive driving requires us to be alert and aware. It teaches us to watch out for hazards on the road and other drivers.  Defensive driving helps the brain to anticipate other drivers and their possible mistakes. This is a skill that should be practiced every time someone gets behind the wheel.

     There are many steps that can be taken to reduce deaths caused by driving mistakes. The first step is to always wear your seatbelt. This is a law that keeps all drivers and passengers safe from being thrown from a car during a collision. It is one of the easiest things you can do to make sure everyone is safe and it should be the first thing you do before turning the car on. Step two is to follow the signs and rules of the road. This includes going the posted speed limit as well as stopping at stop signs and stoplights. Running through a red stoplight is not only dangerous for you but other drivers who may not be paying attention. The third step is to make sure you are not driving distracted. Make sure you are paying attention to the road and not worrying about your music or looking at your phone. Distracted driving  also includes not driving impaired by drugs or alcohol or being too tired or even emotional.

     My best friend had an accident while driving my car. Thankfully, she was not hurt but my car was totaled. She was driving on a dirt road and it had been raining. The road was muddy and that made it easier for the car to go off the edge of the road. She is a good driver but she had had a fight with her dad and was crying hard while driving. In this case the distraction of her emotions and crying heavily led her to slip off the edge of the road and side-swipe a telephone pole. She could have been really hurt or even died. This was a good lesson me and my friend  that if we are feeling strong emotions ,like sadness or anger that might distract us from the task of driving we should pull over until we can drive safely, 

     Steps that I can take to become a safer driver is too always make sure i am mentally ready for the important task of driving knowing I am in control of a large machine that could hurt or even kill myself or someone else. I can always keep my phone on do not disturb and in my purse while driving so I am not tempted to look at it. I can make sure my mirrors are adjusted correctly and my music is set before I put the car in drive. Other steps I can take to be a safe driver include following the posted speed limit, making sure there is two car lengths of space between me and the driver in front of me, and always stopping at stop signs and stop lights when red. 

     Steps I can take to help others become safer drivers is to always remind them to wear their seatbelt.  I can also remind my friends to put their phone down. I can let my friends and family know that I will not ride with them if they are on their phones or distracted- even from turning around to talk to someone or adjusting their music.  I  can make sure a friend never drives when intoxicated by taking their keys away and offering to drive them myself instead.

     There are many easy steps we can take to make sure we are safe drivers on the road. The most important one though, is starting with our driver’s education. We should take the required test seriously and make sure we are actually reading and comprehending the information about rules of the road and what all the signs mean. We should also take our time to practice in safe spaces before we get out on the road with other drivers. Driver’s education is an important step in learning to be safe on the road and should be taken seriously. Driver’s education gives us the necessary tools to use our vehicles safely on the road.