When in a driver’s education class as a young teenager, you might be thinking to yourself how bored you are and how you’re just wasting your time. When you look at how many deaths are caused by driving in just a single year there should be enough evidence to prove that it is important to pay attention and that these courses aren’t a waste of your time. Realizing that more people die while driving than people who die in war is slightly concerning and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is huge. Learning how to handle a vehicle can help you learn how to reduce accidents on the road. While learning the importance of driving, all the rules should be taken seriously knowing that not only is your life at risk when on the road but so is everyone else's.
Looking more into the importance of driver education, it’s important to know how every little detail you’re taught is important and will help not only yourself but everyone else on the road. You’re going to learn simple things such as how to drive defensively, how to have a responsible attitude about driving, hazard perception, and many more things. Even though these may seem like little topics, they’re extremely important in making sure you’re respectful and safe on the road.
While death isn’t always inevitable when driving, there are many factors that play a role in reducing the chances. Simple decisions such as not driving under the influence or not driving while you’re tired can reduce the chances of any deaths while driving. Making sure you follow all the rules of the road such as using your turn signal, stopping at stop lights and stop signs, or even going the speed limit are all factors that can reduce the chances of deaths caused by driving as well. Even though these seem like common sense to most, many people don’t follow these rules and make the roads a dangerous place for everyone around them and themselves.
Growing up, I have definitely been in a vehicle with the driver being extremely irresponsible. My father enjoyed playing bumper cars with his buddies while driving home along with drinking and driving quite often. Bumper cars included my father and his buddy driving extremely fast and trying to cut each other off and bump into each other's bumpers. Any other day of driving home from work with my father included him having a cold beer between his legs and then asking me to grab him another one from the back seat. Aside from drinking and driving, my father was extremely irrational on the road and enjoyed driving way above the speed limit on highways and cutting anyone and everyone off when he passed them. My father also did not care what weather conditions were. To go along with this, if we were on a two lane street, no matter how close the car was in oncoming traffic, my father would pass the car in front of us just hoping we wouldn’t collide head first with the car coming towards us. Even if it was snowy and icy, he would still drive dangerously and just hope for the best.
Besides driving with my father, driving with my step brother was also a bit terrifying. He wasn’t as bad as my father but he definitely made the roads a dangerous place for us and others on the road. My brother would always be on his phone while driving and would often swerve into the other lane. Along with that he would drive excessively over the speed limit and swerve in and out of traffic while passing people on the highways.
Looking back on how others drove with me in the car when I was younger, I have told myself many things so I wouldn’t become as bad a driver as them. I will make sure to go the speed limit in order to make sure I’m less likely to lose control of my car. I have realized that speed limits are there to protect you and not just to disappoint you when you think it should be faster. I make sure to follow all the rules of the road so everyone around me knows what my next move is going to be. If I use my turn signal then everyone is going to know which way I’m going and no one should hit me. If I stop at every stop sign, then there is a less likely chance I’ll hit a car at full speed. While this isn’t everything that can help make me a safer driver, they definitely help enough to make my passengers and myself feel safe on the road.