Driver Education Initiative Award Scholarship Opportunity

I believe driver education is extremely important in order to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. In my opinion, there is a common misconception by many people that driving is “easy”, you simply put the car in gear, hit the gas pedal, and go. The fact is, driving is complicated, well, at least if you want to do it well. It requires an in-depth understanding of the “rules of the road’, techniques about how to handle different situations, how your car in particular handles and what its limitations are, and how you must be alert at all times while driving. Some of these things may be learned over time, taught by an experienced driver, or obtained by reading a book, but the most important part is that drivers must be educated in all these areas to help reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. Accidents are exactly as they are defined, an unintentional incident that happens unexpectedly, but too many lives are lost because of accidents that could have been prevented.

Luckily, there are steps that can be taken to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. Many states offer driver education courses with instructors who are there to teach new drivers the skills they need to be good drivers. Another step that can be taken is for drivers to be focused and stay alert when they are in the driver’s seat. To do this they should start by keeping their eyes focused on the road in front of, next to, and behind the vehicle they are driving. Potential accident-causing scenarios can come from any direction. If drivers take the steps to not allow distractions to pull their attention from the task of driving, the road would be safer for us all. Accident-causing situations can happen in the blink of an eye and drivers need to be prepared to act quickly, if necessary to avoid an accident. Another very important step is not driving impaired. If a driver is impaired in any way, their senses are not fully alert and they are not able to make safe decisions or have timely reactions while behind the wheel. Impairment should be recognized as not only influenced by drugs or alcohol; over-tiredness or illness can be just as impairing and dangerous while driving.

Unfortunately, I was involved in a car accident caused by a distracted driver. The accident and all its repercussions could have been completely avoided if the other driver had been paying attention to the road. On a summer evening in 2004, I was on my way home from work. A trip I had made many times. I was on a side street in Portland, Oregon in fairly light traffic. Most of the other people on the road were others who worked in the medical center like I did. When the approaching stop light turned red, I began to slow my car, along with the others around me. Once I came to a full stop, I took a quick look in my rearview mirror and noticed the car behind me was approaching at regular speed. Being stuck between the car in front of me and the car next to me, I had nowhere to go. The car rear-ended me at the full speed of 35 mph. Now, this may not seem like a lot, but the force was enough to give me whiplash so badly, that I couldn’t sit in a chair without extensive pain for six months. The woman driving the car had her laptop on the passenger seat and papers all over her dash. She had been preparing for a seminar she was headed to, and not paying attention to the road. Had she just been paying attention to the road; this accident could have completely been avoided.

In conclusion, there is no reason 34,000 people should die each year in the United States as a result of driving. Many of these lives could be saved by following a few simple steps. Step one, take the time to learn how to drive a car properly, and understand your vehicle and the rules of the road. Step two, be alert and focused while you’re driving, all other tasks can wait until you reach your destination. Step three don’t drive impaired there are many solutions these days including ride-share programs. It’s not worth the risk to yourself or others to drive impaired. Driving is a wonderful privilege, but it should be taken seriously.