The
Secured Drivers

What
is the importance of drivers ed in reducing the number of
deaths as a result of driving?

It
is 12:30 p.m. and eleven year old Sandra is getting ready to head to
her soccer game. She just has to make a quick call to her dad, to
make sure he’s ready to take her and watch her game. Sandra calls
her dad expressing to him that he promised to come watch her soccer
game, since he never makes time for her. Sandra’s dad explains to
his little girl how he wishes he could walk with her to the game, but
he’s stuck in a meeting and hopes to be there soon. At this same
time, seventeen year old Jerome is delivering pizza for his mom’s
pizza place, but he can’t seem to get off his phone. Jerome rushes
out the door and gets in the delivery car speeding away trying to
make it to his destination. A stop sign away Sandra is crossing the
street while listening to music in her earbuds, and balancing her
soccer ball on her head. While approaching this stop sign, Jerome
isn’t paying any attention to the streets and to little Sandra,
because he was texting. In a blink of an eye, Jerome struck little
Sandra and realizes that he’s done something horrible. In a panic,
he gets out of the car to see if she’s okay, but for little Sandra
that was the end of her life. Jerome who didn’t take a driver’s
education course wonders why he ever ditched it. Feeling guilty
Jerome stood and called the police.

Driver’s
education programs are fundamental to road success, and shouldn’t
be taken for granted. These programs are approved by the government,
and are taught by teachers with the right credentials to raise a new
generation of smart drivers. Teens who go through driver’s
education are less likely to get into accidents and receive traffic
tickets. By putting more teens into drivers ed programs,
the number of deaths as a result of driving could be reduced
significantly. The more teens who are aware of what to do in specific
situations, the less teenage accidents occur. It is a proven fact
that car crashes are the number one killer of teens, causing 33% of
all teen deaths. Just trying to teach your teen the ways of the road
as a parent isn’t enough, professional tutoring of driving rules
and etiquette are also necessary. Teens tend to listen to
professionals more than to their parents when it comes to road
safety. As a professional, you are expected and mandated to know
everything about the roads, whether good or bad. Teens need to know
that they are at risk of being seriously injured or even dead, if
they don’t participate in these educational programs which were
created on their behalf. One more teen taking a drivers ed
course, means one less teen killed behind the wheel.