Drivers Ed 2026

Round 1

Questions to be answered in your essay/application

What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number deaths as a result of driving?

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?

Have you ever had an experience of being in car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?

Write an essay. Win a scholarship.

Join hundreds of students competing for the 2026 Driver Education scholarship. Submit your essay before the round closes — readers vote, and winners earn scholarship awards.

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2026 Driver Education

Round 1

Recent submissions

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In the Driver's Seat: Choosing Responsibility Before the Road Teaches the Lesson

by Nathalia Jackson

This essay explains why driver education is essential for preventing deaths on the road. Through Nathalia Jackson’s perspective, it reflects on responsibility, prevention, family impact, and community safety while discussing practical steps young drivers can take to protect themselves and others.

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Driving with purpose

by Malia Stewart

This essay reflects on how my personal experiences with car accidents shaped my understanding of the importance of driver education and safe driving. It discusses practical ways to reduce traffic related deaths and the responsibility every driver has to help make Virginia’s roads safer.

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Every Empty Seat at the Table

by Channing Cooley

In this essay, I explore how driver education saves lives by turning safety statistics into personal convictions and lifelong habits. Drawing on my own experience, a 2009 intersection crash caused by a driver who never saw me. I share how surviving that moment taught me defensive driving, shaped how I model safe habits for my child, and inspires me to help others stay safe on the road. Every traffic death leaves an empty seat at someone's table, and nearly everyone is preventable.

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Five More Minutes

by Peylin Joss Collier

This doesn't quite answer the questions but it provides a reality to check to just how serious our actions are, and I think it's worth reading.

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The Racing Line of Responsibility: How Formula 1 Physics and Peer Leadership Redefined My Road Safety

by Jann Christiann Mariano

This is my journey from childhood racing trauma and an amateur driving collision to a mature understanding of professional instruction, Formula 1 physics, and proactive youth safety leadership through creative SADD advocacy.

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The Importance of Driver Education in Reducing Traffic Deaths and in Saving Lives

by Hans Lauture

This essay explains the importance of driver education in reducing traffic deaths by highlighting the dangers of distracted driving and the responsibility every driver has on the road. Through a personal experience involving my uncle's texting while driving, it shows how awareness, and responsible choices can help prevent accidents and save lives.

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The Importance of Safe Driving and Reducing Traffic-Related Deaths

by Zayna Hatahet

This essay discusses ways to reduce driving-related deaths, including driver education, eliminating distractions, and following traffic laws. It also reflects on a personal experience with a serious car accident and explains the importance of becoming a responsible and defensive driver.

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Your Ride, Your responsibility

by Chamael Bolivar

This essay introduces "Your Ride, Your Responsibility," a community-focused campaign that encourages teenagers to plan safe transportation before attending events where alcohol may be present. By combining education, student leadership, and proactive planning, the campaign aims to reduce drunk driving and promote responsible decision-making.

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Is it worth it?

by Fatimaalzahraa Alwaleed

An essay written in the hopes of opening some minds.

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Behind the Wheel-Education for the Younger Generations

by andrea michelle rodriguez dominguez

A telling of experience gathered as a self-made driving instructor towards a family member and what that taught me about safety and awareness.

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The Weight of the Wheel: Responsibility, Education, and Saving Lives on the Road

by Favour Oyewole

This essay explores the critical role of driver education in preventing fatalities, the systemic and personal steps we can take to reduce driving-related deaths, and my own experiences witnessing irresponsible driving. It concludes with a personal commitment to safer driving practices and a call to model responsible behavior for others, emphasizing that every life on the road is worth protecting.

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