Driver’s Education is important because it teaches us about being responsible drivers and how to be always aware of our surroundings. It teaches us how to navigate in situations such as bad traffic, severe weather conditions and to notice when other people are being irresponsible while driving. With Driver’s Education, it can give new drivers the critical skills needed to navigate these situations and avoid unnecessary accidents on the road. Accidents are less likely to occur if we have the knowledge, skills and mindset to ensure we are safe drivers. Driver’s Education also teaches about everyday common practices we see on the road but are actually dangerous if one is not paying attention. These include texting, eating, being on the phone or even watching videos. While some people maybe efficient at exhibiting these behaviors, all it takes is about three seconds of being distracted that could be the meaning of life or death.
I received my driver license last summer and it has been a huge adjustment for me to drive by myself and be a responsible driver. I am seventeen years old and as a new driver I have seen some very interesting driving habits. I have always been told that you are not driving for yourself but for the other person/cars around you. While we are very talented and intelligent people, we are still humans and silly mistakes can cause tragic accidents and even loss of life. It surely does not help that technology has drastically improved over the years and we can basically use our phones to do anything we want it to. This has crossed over to using these capabilities while driving. As teenagers, we believe we are so multitalented that we can do anything, and it will be fine. The truth is, we are not, and it only takes one moment for us to misjudge a distance or not see someone in our blind spot and casually move into the next lane. This can be very dangerous especially on a major highway.
A good driver is a person who is responsible, follows all the road rules, it aware of his/her soundings on the highways as well as in the community and is courteous to other drivers as we all have a destination to get to. A good driver is mindful and alert when pedestrians are crossing the roads. Some steps that can be taken to reduce unnecessary deaths and accidents are to practice safe distance while driving, obeying all traffic laws, coming to a complete stop at intersections, be aware of pedestrians, practicing proper parking and obeying all traffic signs such as stop signs, yields signs, railroads signs, wild animal signs etc.
Today, there are too many distractions such as technology, drinking, not paying attention, vaping, marijuana, driving while tired and smoking. All these distractions reduce our capacity to pay attention on the road and be responsible drivers. As new drivers our reaction time may be delayed even without any technological distractions as we are still learning and may overcompensate something and make matters worse. We should not be texting while driving as this is against the law. Buckling save lives and is the law, so the cool thing to do is to wear our seat belts.
Texting is the most distracting type of driving, especially in teenagers and can result in an average of 3-5 seconds of our eyes off the road. As inexperienced drivers, this can lead to horrific crashes and even death. Texting affects our ability to see, our thought process as our thinking has shifted to something else and our ability to manually drive the car effectively. While I have never been in an accident, I have seen some terrible accidents and have often wondered “how did that happen?”.
As indicated above, to practice safe driving, following all traffic laws is key. I use these skills every day when I am driving. Always seat belt first is my first rule. When I see a friend or family doing something I say something to encourage them to change their behaviors. Breaking bad habits are not easy, but we must start somewhere and practicing reinforces positive habits. We all should taking driving seriously and not for granted. Safety is very important. When we leave our houses, the expectation is that we will return the same way we left- in one piece. So, let’s keep our eyes on the road, reduce our distractions and be responsible.