From the start of 2025, there has been an increase in the fear of airplanes, mostly due to the seemingly numerous examples of crashes and other mishaps that are always in the news. And as an alternative, many are considering driving instead, whenever possible. But surprisingly, cars are around 200 times more likely to kill than airplanes! So, the reason that airplanes seem to be in the news quite a lot are because their accidents are far less frequent, making any news of their failures seem significant.

Driving is dangerous. But there are many ways to mitigate this danger, from scientific advancements like seatbelts and airbags, to human factors like concentrating and being more careful. While it is up to the companies themselves to advance the scientific side of safety, which may never reach its full potential, the human side is much easier to deal with. There is a standard of perfection that can be attained. And the only way to that perfection is Driver’s Education. While experience comes in quite handy in many situations, there is no way to act without knowing the basics. Sure, one can just read the handbook to learn, but Driver’s Education is the best way to go. Not only do they teach everything inside the handbooks, but they also provide real, practical experience to go along with it. And they do explain much better than those handbooks. There are videos explaining the rules, and then there are examples to practice what you’ve learned, because if there’s anything that is guaranteed, it’s that practice makes perfect. By the time the classroom portion of the course is done, you will have learned about almost everything. The only thing left is to actually drive. In this case, special certified instructors will accompany you, and show you how an actual car works. They will show you where the different functions are, and how to react to certain situations. This is much better for safety, as just learning from the people around you can prove to be detrimental. If everyone who drives around you is borderline reckless, then it would not be good if you learned from that. Instead, having certified instructors who know the best way to react will produce a society of good and safe drivers.

What they will teach in class is actually quite simple. First, drive the speed limit. Speed limits are designed by traffic engineers, who know how to manage the flow of traffic as well as make sure everything is safe. What this means is that the speed limit is set so that you can reach your destination as fast, and as safe as possible. Second, watch for other people. Not saying that other people are always the problem, but it is always good to watch one’s surroundings. Unexpected things always seem to happen, and you should always be aware and ready to make a sudden decision to solve the problem. Third, make sure the car is safe. Whether that means adjusting the mirrors or taking the car in for regular maintenance, the car will mean everything. If you can’t make sure that you can actually drive, then why do you want to drive? Driving takes responsibility. If you don’t have that, you shouldn’t drive. Fifth, know the functions of the car. Just knowing the tools you have at your disposal will help in extreme situations. Other than that, there is nothing they can teach you. Much of everything else is learned mainly through experience, like rules and how to actually drive.

I have been in a car accident multiple times. And each time, we got rear-ended. What this shows is that stuff happens. Even if all the precautions are taken, there is still a chance for an accident. Nothing in the world is guaranteed, and if the rules above are followed, chances are it won’t be your fault. There may be a couple experiences where you are at fault, but with more experience, you will become the best driver possible. At that point, any accident will be the fault of others. So really, all I have done in trying to drive better is to know the characteristics of different cars. That’s really the only thing that can throw off experience now. When driving large cars like mini-vans, I try to understand and get used to the fact that they are quite a bit wider and longer than the SUVs that I usually drive, as well as the fact that they have a slow acceleration. For smaller cars, I try to minimize the jerkiness because I know that the brake and gas pedal will cause a huge change in speed. So what I have been doing to become a better and safer driver is to get more experience, because after Driver’s Ed, that is the only thing that one can improve.