According to the US Government, every year, more than 40,000 people in the United States die in a car crash, many of them caused by preventable mistakes made by drivers.
Most new drivers aren’t aware of how much they need to be constantly analyzing their surroundings,” said Oswego’s Top Driver instructor Andy Gerbitz. “A good proactive driver is routinely making predictions and adjustments before encountering any potential problems.”
At OH, the Driver’s Ed program offered through the Kinetic Wellness Department offers detailed supports for early drivers. A learning opportunity for students, these early experiences with trained teachers and professionals help to overcome potential bad habits.
Even for trained drivers, misconceptions can arise from drivers listening to bad advice.
“The biggest misconception I heard,” said OH sophomore Lucas Goress, “[is] that people can go 15 over the speed limit.” Goress, who is taking drivers ed this year, has had this misconception corrected through his education.
Gerbitz explained that these misconceptions are important to clear up early in one’s driving experience.
“The speed limit isn’t really the speed limit, (drivers) can go 10 or 15 over… [these misconceptions] must be cleared up. People shouldn’t be going 10 or 15 over the speed limit, if possible people should try to go the speed limit on the sign. If people go over the speed limit, it could cause a crash, and could get seriously injured,” Gerbitz explained.
Speeding isn’t the biggest misconception new drivers make, nor it is the only one for new drivers.
Some new drivers don’t always follow basic driving habits, like fully stopping at red lights and stop signs, and some also trust technology more than they should.
“Some new drivers think, I only have to look at my back camera when I’m reversing,” explained Gerbitz, indicating that this is not true.
This isn’t true because the back camera on a car isn’t reliable for all potential obstructions. It is a good tool when drivers are using the camera and looking behind the driver’s shoulder. However, the camera isn’t a good tool on its own; it’s better to just look over the driver’s shoulder when reversing.
Another misconception is I don’t have to look over my shoulder to check my blind spot if my car has a blind spot detector.
Like the back camera, Gerbitz indicates that the blind spot detector is a little bit faulty, and it is better to look over your shoulder and the rear view mirrors to check to see if it’s good to pass.
Jacob Vesley, an OH sophomore taking Drivers Ed, said, “The most important piece of driving safety … [is to] stay off your phone while driving.”
Vesley’s comment addresses a very important issue happening in the U.S. While some may think it will be ok if I look at a text for one minute, that one minute could end in a car crash.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2024, over 3,200 people died due to distracted driving and 315,000 injuries due to distracted driving.
Overall, it is critical for drivers to build and maintain quality driving habits. As Gerbitz said, “There are a lot of factors that contribute to drivers abandoning the safe driving habits they learned in Driver’s Ed.”
