Being able to drive is both a privilege and a responsibility. It’s an amazing feeling to first get your license and feel as if you have the freedom to go anywhere you want. With this freedom, of course, comes many risks. Nobody is the perfect driver, and it’s very often that people make mistakes. These mistakes can, unfortunately, lead to someone’s life being at risk, meaning it is very important to gain as much knowledge in driving as possible to reduce the chances of something occurring. Driver education plays a major role in decreasing mistakes and accidents like this from happening. Not only is it crucial in order to know the basics, but it’s also important for preventative measures. Even if someone driving is following the rules of the road perfectly, it’s important for them to also know how to react or respond quickly, should someone else put them at risk. With this knowledge, one can become more confident and comfortable behind the wheel which can improve the way they drive. On the opposite side, if a driver lacks knowledge and education before getting behind the wheel, it will show in the quality of their driving. Even besides knowing the rules of the road, it’s also important that people take additional precautions and steps to keep themselves and others safe.

There are many aspects that can affect the way a person drives such as distractions (a phone or a child crying in the backseat, being impaired (alcohol or drugs), not being in a good state of mind in terms of mental health, and much more. In these scenarios, it’s crucial that all drivers do everything within their control to prevent anything that will negatively impact their ability to drive. For example, some people can drive peacefully and avoid checking their phones while they can hear their notification sound going off. For others, it may cause them to become distracted or intrigue them to check their phone. A person can’t control the text messages or phone calls they receive, but they can choose to silence their phone if they know it will be a distraction. If a person is going out with the intent to drink, they can choose to go out with another friend or preferably a group of friends where one person who agrees not to become intoxicated can be the designated driver. There are many steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of deaths or injuries from reckless driving. I think a common theme from all of these scenarios is to think ahead and create a safe environment or a quick plan to prevent anything bad from occurring.

My family and I were unfortunately in a car accident earlier this year. We were in a local area and stopped at a red light. Everything seemed to be normal, up until a red pickup truck made a right turn at a high speed heading straight for our car. The speed and force ended up pushing our car two lanes over, causing irreversible damage. Fortunately, the person driving pulled over at a nearby store parking lot, and from there the police were called. The driver said that at that moment their breaks had stopped working, which explained the force with which they hit my family’s car. This, however, does not explain how they ended up in our lane. Thankfully both my family and the driver of the pick-up truck both made it out with only minor injuries. However, it’s also important to acknowledge that this could have definitely been worse.
As I’m preparing to go to school this fall, I am currently taking steps to become a better and safer driver. Often times when my family and I go out, I or my sister (who is in the process of obtaining her license) will be the ones to drive. This helps us in many different areas when it comes to driving. Over time it has helped us to become more confident and comfortable on the road since this is something we’ve done on a consistent basis. It’s helped us to discover and get familiar with new areas that we typically don’t drive in. Lastly and most importantly, it’s caused us to grow by recognizing areas for improvement. Though I’ve had my license for a few years, there was a period when I wasn’t able to drive due to some events happening in my family’s life. While I could have simply gone back on the road by myself after not driving for months, I’m glad I had my parents to assist me with readjusting. Driving is something that improves on a consistent basis, and it was crucial to get back into the habit of driving rather than trusting that I’d be fine simply because I still had my license. Overall, driver education is extremely important to one’s path in life and should be taken as seriously as possible.