2024 Drivers Ed Essay Contest

I believe I am a good fit for this scholarship because I was the victim of a car accident two days before Christmas in the year 2020. I had just turned 18 and was nearing the 3-year mark of safe driving since receiving my license. On my way to work that morning, my rear tire exploded on the HOV lane on I-15 NB in Utah. Luckily, this all transpired in front of the Intermountain Health Care Hospital in Murray. I was T-boned by a semi while driving on the freeway. If not for the education I received during my Driver’s Education class in high school, I would not be alive today. As I watch my sister reach her 16th birthday, I constantly worry about what her driving will be like, if she will be safer than me, and if she will survive as I did. Driver education taught me the importance of seatbelts, how to stay safe before, during, and after an accident, and how to keep others safe. During my accident, I remembered how I could protect myself thanks to the class I took, which, in turn, reduced the yearly state car deaths by one.

My car accident was not a situation where I drove recklessly; instead, there was nothing I could do to control the car. The shock from losing a tire threw my steering wheel off course, and I slammed my foot on the brake, hoping the car would slide into a cruise and drift off the side. Instead, the car forced itself to turn onto on-coming traffic. The vehicle’s speed on the freeway made the momentum swing like a racecar turning on a track. I had momentarily lost control of the steering wheel, and the car rammed into a truck head-on. The truck’s speed pushed me diagonally to the right side of the freeway when a bright red semi-truck impacted my car door, stabbing and cutting into my skin.

To protect myself, I followed the steps I was taught, at least as much as possible: seat belts are life savers and should always be put on before beginning a trip, protect your chest, and loosen your body as much as possible before impact. My seatbelt forced me to stay in my seat instead of flinging out of the car when the semi-truck hit me; my arms protected my chest and took all the damage my heart could have received, and loosening my body allowed me to escape the car without a single broken or damaged bone. As enjoyable as it was to discover the miracle, I still underwent emergency plastic surgery in the emergency room. My entire left side was either bruised, cut, or bleeding, and morphine had yet to kick in while the surgeon tended to me.

I did not feel any repercussions until a few nights later when my dreams were bright red semi-trucks crashing into me. Half a year after the accident, the numbness started to become painful, like fire and lightning, until I could not feel anything on my skin. My spine served as the doorway between both sides of my back, one which felt normal and the other which felt constant muscular and nerve pain.

I am the only one in my group of family and friends to experience such a terrifying accident, and I am glad that that is the case. My tribe has learned from my mistakes and pushed themselves to drive more safely; though they did so before, it is more prominent now. Whenever I get in someone’s car and I learn how irresponsible of a driver they are, I leave the car as soon as possible. My life is too precious for even a moment of speed, regardless of the situation. My body had become numb and damaged in certain areas, which did not help my confidence in driving.

Patience was never my strong suit. This injury has forced me to be patient with myself. Since the accident, I have driven patiently and only used the freeway if my destination is more than 30 minutes away. I always remember my safety steps and limit distractions like my cell phone or loud music. My body may never be the same, but how I care for the things that matter to me should always be my top priority. Life is too short not to care. With this new mentality, I have found a job that allows me the freedom to care for myself while still caring about my work ethic so I can improve my life and push myself through new learning opportunities that may allow me to further my professional life.