Will Driver’s Education Classes Minimize Car Accidents?
Studies have proven that drivers between the ages of 16-18 are the most likely to be involved in a car accident. So, it makes sense that if a young driver takes driver’s education classes, he or she would likely be a safer and better driver overall.
At Service King Etna in Pittsburgh, PA we see the value of driver's education, especially for rookie drivers. Not only does a first-class driver’s ed course carefully cover each state’s traffic laws and rules, it actually enables new drivers to learn the skills that are needed for the safe operation of a vehicle. By learning useful skills that can help a driver to maneuver his or her way out of an accident, these classes have undoubtedly saved lives over the years.
There's a debate about whether or not driver’s education classes can actually help a teenage driver to avoid getting into an accident. A New York Times article looked closely at the complexity of this issue and presented both sides of the argument.
Most experts believe that by undertaking a provisional licensing program will reduce crashes involving teen drivers. While some people have argued that driver’s ed courses do little to impact teen driving habits, some states such as Oregon, California, Nebraska and Maryland push driver’s education programs while others have eliminated these classes.
But, a new study might help to persuade those who might be undecided about the value of driver’s education. Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln recently unveiled the results of a comprehensive survey of that state’s teenage drivers.
The Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse reviewed the driving records of 151,000 Nebraska teenage drivers who obtained their provisional licenses between during a three-year period. Approximately 53% of these young drivers had taken a state-approved driver’s education course while the remainder of them opted to complete 50 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian onboard.
The results illustrated that the young drivers who took a driver’s ed course were involved in fewer accidents: 11.1% of the driver’s education group, as opposed to 12.9% of those who did not take a course, had been involved in an accident. The study also showed that 10.4% of the same group who took a course received a ticket for a moving violation when compared to 18.3% of those who hadn’t.
If you know a teenager between 16-18 years of age and want to help them to be a better driver, suggest that they take a series of driver's education classes to be a safer and more responsible driver.
Service King Etna, 737 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15223
Sources: New York Times, University of Nebraska
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