A focused and responsible driver is, above all, a safe driver. However,
it is especially difficult to be focused when you are learning how to drive with your mother in the
passenger seat.
Each time
I have practiced driving with my mother, her hands latch onto the dashboard with
clenched fingers and white knuckles. Her voice becomes several octaves higher than it usually
sounds, and her anxiety makes it near impossible to focus on my own thoughts, let alone operating a vehicle. Any teenager who has began a driving career with his or her parents in the neighboring seat knows
that mothers and fathers, while wise teachers for other life lessons, do not always make the best driving
instructors.
Among the many benefits of teenage driver
education is the opportunity for student drivers to practice their driving skills with trained professionals. The anxiety that
often exists when learning to drive with a parent can significantly affect a teenage driver's focus on the
road. Being able to sit next to a professional driving instructor with an extensive knowledge of driving laws
creates a secure and relaxed environment for young adults to improve their driving skills and learn
about road safety and laws. Both student drivers and parents will feel more comfortable knowing that a
driving expert can look out for the student while teaching them to drive in a relaxed manner.
Classroom instruction is also a vital aspect of
teenage driver education. Although the last thing many students want to hear is that they will need to spend additional time
learning in a classroom, the benefits of learning driving skills in a classroom setting with follow them
from their teenage driver career and into adulthood. Apart from the small amount laws I have learned
while practicing behind the wheel, I feel that there are so many rules and driving basics that I have yet
to learn. Teenage drivers may not be able to learn as many laws and general rules on practice alone.
With classroom instruction, they can not only grasp key driving and traffic fundamentals, but can also
learn about the dangers of driving under the influence and how to make responsible decisions when driving.
An increased push for teenagers to receive
driver education is unfortunately due to fatal circumstances. Stories like those of Georgia teenager Joshua Brown, who passed
away in 2003 after a fatal car accident, have had a deep impact on myself and Georgia teens. The
parents of Joshua Brown lobbied the state legislature to pass what is now known as "Joshua's
Law," which solidifies the requirements for teenagers to be able to obtain their licenses and mandates
that they have more practice behind the wheel. These
tragic events help all of us realize that teenage driver education should not
just be recommended, but necessary.
With teenage driver education, student drivers
can learn skills that will shape their driving habits as adults, gain knowledge about driving under the influence, and have a better
understanding of the laws in place to prevent accidents and fatalities. Not only will students of driver
education courses feel more confident and safe on the road, parents can feel at ease knowing that their
children are well prepared and ready to get their licenses. Furthermore,
if I complete a teenager driver education course, I will be pleased to see that my mother's knuckles will not be white with nervousness the
next time she is in the passenger seat.
Rachel Jovert
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