Driver education, just as any other education, is used to increase proficiency and familiarity with the subject in question. Unlike other high school courses, driver education can be a matter of life and death. Unlike math class, driving consists of massive pieces of metal traveling at high speeds with the possibility of colliding into similar pieces of metal if you are not paying attention. The consequences of dozing off or not paying attention in math are class bad grades, whereas doing so while driving can be significant injury and even death. We place such high emphasis on education where lives are not at risk, we should in turn place an even higher emphasis on education in a field that puts lives at risk. Just as those who study math are better at it than those who do not, so too those who study drivers ed are better at driving than those who do not. driver education puts the facts out there. It outlines the risks of driving while also highlighting the joys, the freedoms, and the responsibility. Driver education of course cannot prevent all accidents, but it can go a long way towards you not being at fault. There are other drivers on the road and people make mistakes, but driver education minimizes those mistakes by way of practice.
A lot of deaths by car accidents are caused by distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding. As with anything the best way to minimize the perpetration of a restricted action is to enforce negative consequences for the perpetrators. The greater the consequences, the less likely people are to engage in restricted actions. Of course, I am not suggesting the death penalty for driving infractions but there should be steeper fines and in some cases people’s licenses should be taken away. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege that comes with a responsibility. Neglection of that responsibility should result in punishment and fines. Parents also play a part in this by making sure that their teen drivers are not texting and driving or doing other foolish immature activities.
I have been involved in a car accident that was unfortunately my fault. It had been a long week at school, and I was stressing myself out about my baseball game and trying to make it on time. I had just recently returned to the country from a great trip, and I had a big school project coming up. In short, I had far too much to think about to pay attention to driving. I was at an intersection and a semi was stopped about to make a left turn. There was an extensive line of cars and as I had witnessed at this specific intersection before, the semi usually lets a few of them go first so he can make wide turn. So, I stopped at the stop sign, looked right then left and I paused for a few seconds waiting on the semi and then I realized he must have been waiting on me so without looking right again I pulled out and made my left turn. Boy, was I wrong the semi had been waiting on an oncoming log truck which t-boned me and took off the rear tire of the car I was driving. In ridiculously slow motion the truck struck first the car I was in and as a result of hitting me the driver lost control and also hit the semi. I felt very stupid and frustrated and what made matters even more embarrassing was the fact that the driver of the log truck was my dad’s cousin.
Driving better and safer can be as simple as reminding yourself before driving that you are undertaking a dangerous task and that you need to conduct yourself accordingly. Drivers need to be prepared to focus on the task at hand with their bodies and their minds. If you are worried about getting somewhere on time, leave early as opposed to speeding to get there. Often driving poorly is not a result of inability but of selfishness. Text messages, arriving on time, and fun too often outweigh our desire for the safety of ourselves and especially that of others. There are so many resources available to become a better driver: you could look up videos on YouTube, read up on traffic laws online, and even ask your parents to help by riding in the car with you. To help others become better drivers I can tell them some of the dangers of distracted driving through statistics and articles as well as telling them my own car accident story.