What essential skills should the driver's education curriculum cover?

The driver's education curriculum should cover defensive driving techniques, hazard recognition, and safe vehicle operation because these elements are foundational for ensuring that a new driver can safely navigate the road. Defensive driving techniques focus on anticipating potential problems and taking proactive measures to avoid accidents. Hazard recognition teaches drivers to identify dangerous situations, such as other vehicles behaving unpredictably or adverse weather conditions, allowing them to react appropriately. Safe vehicle operation encompasses the skills necessary for maintaining control over the vehicle, understanding how to operate its features correctly, and following traffic laws, which are essential for responsible driving.

While speed management and navigation techniques, advanced vehicle control and emergency procedures, and strategies for passing the driving test are certainly important topics within the broader scope of driving education, they do not encompass the fundamental skills needed to ensure safety on the road in everyday scenarios. The most critical focus for a new driver should be on defensive driving and recognizing hazards to minimize the risk of accidents, making option B the most appropriate choice.