The Destructive Force of Ignorance

The
Destructive Force of Ignorance

There are many who drive today that have a license despite lacking
any proper education on how to drive safely. A good example would be
my friend. She had had a license for about a year and in that time
she had gotten in three accidents all within a span of a few months.
A large part of the problem was that she had gotten her license too
easily and would make poor decisions when she was on the road. The
cause of this was because the requirements for gaining a license
lacks any real requirement that the driver in question has been
taught how to drive safely. Since most early drivers are students, a
large number are taught at home how to drive and as such either pick
up bad habits from their parents or the parent’s themselves lack
the ability to transfer what they know to their child. It is easier
for a person to get a driver’s license than it is for a person to
get a certification for PhotoShop. It is harder for a person to be
qualified to professionally use a photo editor than it is for a
person to drive a machine that is the leading cause of death for
teens in the United States.

So, the question remains; how can we, both as a nation and as
individuals, lower the mortality rate of driving and ensure that the
ones who are driving are people properly educated and tested in safe
driving. The first step would be to require that anyone who is going
to get a driver’s license has passed a drivers ed course
sometime within the last year before applying. Additionally, the test
itself needs to take into account not just motor skills but also
awareness and quick decision-making while on the road. These could
include a test of the driver’s reaction to say a kid running out of
nowhere onto the road or how the decisions they make when considering
oncoming traffic or other potential accident factors. That, however,
is only one of many things that need to happen for driver’s to be
educated, safe drivers on the road. It is the driver’s
responsibility that after they get their license, to continue to
practice good driving habits and to always take the steps needed to
be as safe as possible. Such as always giving myself ample time to
get to where I need to avoid rushing and to avoid voluntary
distractions and peer pressure.