The More You Know About Drivers Ed

By John Robertson

Your teenager may very well balk about drivers ed requirements but the mandates have changed since most of us have been in high school. The mandates have been changed to help ensure that the new drivers are out on the road with all of the knowledge and understanding of safety that they need to be a better driver. A driver's license is not as easy to get as it once was. The completion of a drivers ed course is now required in almost every single state for the receipt of a license. The completion of this course is also generally required to graduate high school.

It's no longer just about passing a driving exam. If you know about drivers ed you know that the focus is on making students safer drivers. Those who complete the course successfully stand a better chance than those who don't at making it through their first five years of driving without a serious accident.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for kids under the age of 21. Many of these car accidents are related to the experimental or regular use of alcohol or illegal drug use. The small percentage of fatal accidents that are caused by negligence are most often caused by inexperienced drivers.

In order to help prevent more accidents from claiming the lives of younger generations we need to be more aware of the value of such classes and insist that our children take these classes even if they are not required by law. Keeping new drivers safe and well informed is the whole point of a drivers ed course.

The most impressive thing about drivers ed is how it decreases a teenager's chances of being injured or killed in a car accident. In a world where we are driving faster, pushing limits, and taking more chances, a structured environment that teaches safety has a long lasting impact. Many students who have successfully avoided serious accidents credit their earlier experiences in class for their ability to react appropriately.

Whether your child receives their license upon the completion of the course or if they end up waiting a few years to allow for additional maturity the lessons learned in class are invaluable for a lifetime behind the wheel. Insisting that your child knows about drivers ed and engages in the class with the same enthusiasm as they do their other classes is one way to help keep them safe.

Our roads are more dangerous than ever before. We have too many cars on the road. We have too many people multitasking behind the wheel and too many people driving around ready to snap at the slightest indiscretion. In order to protect our children from the potential dangers of driving they need to be thoroughly educated.

A driver's license may be one of the most exciting aspects of a teenager's life, but for a parent you need more than just a few random words of assurance. If you can see that they have passed their course with good grades and have the chance to discuss what your child has learned can give you a little more assurance that they know what they are doing when they get behind the wheel. More importantly, you want reassurances that they take the responsibility of driving very seriously. - 29952

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