Why Driver's Ed?

Many people, especially those my age, see drivers ed as a roadblock to freedom, something you have to do just to get your license and finally the liberty that being able to drive affords a young person. However, as the statistics on DmvEdu.org indicate, these students would do well to pay more attention. Drivers ed can help prevent these needless deaths and keep everyone safer on the road.

Simply put, attending drivers ed will produce safer drivers. The more you can impress upon students the grave responsibility of operating a motor vehicle, the safer drivers they will be. Providing students with the raw facts and statistics and emphasizing the risk will inculcate students with a sense of respect for their cars and a feeling of responsibility to themselves and others while on the road. However, this is not to say students should be scared away from driving entirely with accident statistics. Students must be trained to be confident but alert drivers, who have the instincts to operate a motor vehicle safely even in adverse conditions.

I have only been in a few minor fender-benders personally, so I cannot claim to have had experience with car accidents. However, I know people who have had their lives shattered by debilitating injuries from car accidents, and even lost loved ones. I have seen how scared my friends and family members who have experienced these events are afterwards, how gingerly they drive forever afterwards. It really makes me think about the consequences of just one bad decision, even a split-second lapse in concentration or judgement.

As a teenager, I have often witnessed my friends driving irresponsibly. Many of my friends just don’t understand the risks involved with speeding and doing dangerous stunts. I always try to remind them of the consequences involved, that these consequences are far beyond a wrecked car or a ticket but could be life-and-death. Unfortunately, these warnings often go unheeded by my peers, who are not mature enough to see things this way.

This is not to say that my own driving is perfect. I definitely need to work on driving more slowly, especially in parking lots, where the majority of car accidents occur. I should also try to be more alert when driving, turning down my music and tuning out my passengers’ conversations. Overall, I feel we could all use a reminder of the stakes of driving every once in a while, and I definitely believe that the foundation for safe drivers is built in drivers ed. The importance of such programs cannot be understated, and I believe that these programs are essential in emphasizing the costs of just one bad choice behind the wheel.