These Are All The Things You Wish Had Been Taught In Driver's Ed

Driver’s ed should make new drivers ride one of the growing segment of 125cc mini bikes for a year before getting their license.

It would give them the chance to start practicing the fundamentals, defensive driving, lane discipline, predicting driver behavior, all in a lower-speed setting.

As a bonus, they would become drivers that are conditioned to be somewhat more aware of motorcycles (so hopefully less likely to SMIDSY us), or better yet become riders themselves, reducing traffic for everyone, using fewer parking spots, and generally just being cooler.

Suggested by TRath

I think there needs to be more emphasis on awareness of and watching out for motorcycles, as well as bikes and peds. Would definitely make things safer for everyone.

Suggested by LeftyLooseyGoosey

How dual turn lanes work.

I don’t know what’s so hard to understand about lane 1 turning into lane 1 and lane 2 turning into lane 2+, but a solid 90% of people in lane 1 just swing on through to lane 2 or 3 every time.

If you can’t count to 2, you shouldn’t be allowed to pilot a ton of CUV where there are other people for you to hit.

Suggested by TRath

from what I experienced traffic would be just much more fluid if everyone got better at zipper mergers

Suggested Ken.Moromisato

How to properly set your mirrors so you dont have blind spots. I just figured it out myself but how i was taught originally created major blind spots.

Suggested by boneheadotto

Mine’s more philosophical: you are not the only driver on the road.

If you’re going straight in the right most lane, but block right turners? Fail.

If you’re in the left most lane and lane change into a red lighted left turn lane, slowing down while you’re in the left lane, instead of getting over and then slowing down? Fail.

Not going at green lights? Fail.

Waiting until the last 16th of a mile to cross four lanes of traffic because, oh, damn, that turn just snuck up on you and you’re going to make everyone slow down to 5mph so you can move over? Fail.

Lots of ‘pay attention’, ‘plan ahead’ and ‘don’t piss off the driver behind you’ essentially.

Suggested by Volante3192

I learned to drive in 1984. That was a long time ago, so much has changed.

What do I wish was taught at my driver’s ed? To be brutally honest?

Some combination of de-escalation, relaxation and straight-up Buddhism.

Driver’s education taught you the rules and regulations of the road. But nothing about how to remain calm and thoughtful. They don’t go into about how you need to control your feelings when someone cuts you off or conversely; if you’re not paying attention how you can be the asshole as well.

Suggested by radioout

• That onramps are meant for accelerating to highway speeds, and yes, if my 130HP CRZ can do it, your car can too
  
• That merging vehicles have to yield to traffic already on the road
  
• That the left lane is for passing, not cruising, and slower vehicles yield to faster ones

Suggested by OnceInAMillennia

Braking is probably the one Americans seem to struggle with the most, well besides thinking you’re going to roll over during a turn unless you take it at 5mph.

1. You do not need to be married to your brakes all the time to check your speed, just let off the gas

2. pedal control. Learn how much force you actually need to brake effectively during an emergency. A good driver should be able to match the person in front of you if they decide to brake aggressively while simultaneously not over braking for the person behind you.

3. to make sure #2 is actually viable, check your brakes often, make sure the pads are good, and flush the fluid every 5 years or so.

Suggested by darthspartan117

When I was learning to drive my father took me to an iced over parking lot (winter in eastern PA up in the mnts) and made me accelerate and brake and get out of the resulting skids.

Teaching me how not to over correct in unexpected situations - which is the source of losing control for most drivers (at least once) and might have saved my first Fiat 126 - which I rolled to avoid hitting a dog. Now I am always aware of where I’m going to bail in all possible situations. I have to be really tired not to imagine each and every potential idiot move of the other drivers (or even if I have a system failure). “Where will I put her to avoid ‘this possibility’?”

Suggested by sybann

Friction, and how it changes with the weather. For the most part, new drivers learn to drive on dry or wet pavement, but rarely on icy or slushy pavement, nor on gravel. Knowing when to slow down (and why) took “falling off the road” a few times.

Suggested by JimmyZZZZZZZ

I don’t know, but here is what I had to pass through to get a driver license in Europe.

First a written knowledge test (road rules and laws, regulations).

Second basic first aid and CPR class and test.

Third car maintenance/mechanics fundamentals and test(change a light bulb, change a tire, change oil, replace battery, jump start, basic inspection, etc.)

Fourth a driving skill practice and test on a skill course (emergency braking, uphill start, Y turn, slalom, etc.)

Once all of those are passed, then you could go to the road with an instructor and prepare for the actual driving test.

Undoubtedly this would cost more and take much longer, but probably would benefit any future drivers.

Suggested by towman

I had to teach myself how to drive a manual since no one in my family drove a stick and both the Drivers-Ed cars in HS were 1979 Plymouth Volares with a straight-six and a three speed automatic.

Some training with a manual would have been nice, especially the part about coming to a stop on a hill. That is not something you want to teach yourself in rush hour traffic.

Also, some practical experience in skid control. It’s one thing to read “steer into a skid” in the Drivers-Ed booklet, it’s another thing to experience it.

Suggested by Earthbound Misfit I

I would require the youths to use their phones in a simulator designed to show them how distracted driving affects their ability to safely react to unexpected situations. This might not eliminate the problem, but it would at least give them an idea about potentially fatal watching influencers or responding to texts on their way home from school can be.

Suggested by paradsecar

I took drivers ed way back in the 1980s, but having taught a millennial and two gen Z drivers, I have a list:

• Emergency lane changes
• Emergency braking
• how to regain control of a skid, including exactly how much grip does your car have, including with traction control off. (it didn’t exist in my car in 1984.)
  
• Proper mirror alignment to eliminate or minimize blind spots, without electronic nannies.
  
• Proper backing up, with no cameras, including if you have to use outside mirrors only.
• How big is your car. Driving both big cars (I learned in a Ford E100 van) and small cars (Toyota Corolla) - how wide is your car. My youngest is terrible at this.
  
• lane discipline (keep right except to pass)
• Zipper merge and highway on-ramp merging.
  
• eyes up and look ahead, not down at the gauges or anything else inside the car.
• Proper speeds for various conditions, both not too fast or two slow.
• Turn signal use!

Suggested by Wagon Guy drives a Boostang