In The Driver’s Seat

Driver’s Education is a class where inexperienced drivers are prepared to receive their learner’s permits and to learn in person driving for their licenses. Driver’s ed has been established in schools to prepare kids to learn how to drive when they reach the age of 16; it’s a class that prepares inexperienced drivers to be comfortable and to drive safely on the road. In this class they are taught the rules of the road, and how to prevent accidents from happening. Students are taught how to backup from a driveway or setting, how to turn, to parallel park, which buttons and compartments are in charge of what, how to put gasoline in, how to drive in gravel or one-two lanes, what to do if there is something blocking a view, how to merge, the speed limit, and what you can vs can’t do in specific roads. Students are told to drive with the instructors for their mandatory hours with the instructor and 50 hours worth of driving with a parent, with 10 hours being at night. The purpose of this is to have students more comfortable driving without freaking out in an unexpected scenery or situation. Depending on the state, students are not allowed to drive with two feet, loud music, talking, one hand on the wheel, or phones in hand. Students’ main priority on the road is to be focused on the road and the areas surrounding where they are driving. No distractions must make the driver lose their focus from the road. After the driving hours with the instructor and parent are complete, students are then to take the test at their local school or dmv. When receiving a license there are still rules set upon for a new driver for the safety of themselves and the safety of others. These rules are important to follow, or else there will be dire consequences such as warnings or tickets, or even the worst one possible-death. Some steps that can reduce the number of deaths are following the road laws. New drivers or drivers in general shouldn’t rage-drive, drink alcoholic drinks before driving, drive with a distraction such as a phone or constantly have to check the backseats. To prevent distractions, phones can be set into a pocket, bag, or compartment, have a parent sit in the backseat with the children, not blast loud music, or have someone you know if you decide to drink alcohol be able to drive you before getting into a car. There are some things we can’t prevent on the road, but you can prevent the prevention of your actions on the road by being a safe driver. I have never been in an accident, but I can say that I had many experiences of almost being in one. An experience I can give was when I was in 7th grade, and I was heading to school that morning. A driver decided to turn on their turn signal but they didn’t turn on the road we were on and decided to go straight. Because we thought they were gonna turn we decided to go. It would have been an immediate hit. To this day I can still recount how time slowed that day. I remember looking around and everything happened to be in slow motion. I remember thinking I was gonna die at that moment and I haven’t even finished my life. Before I knew it, I found that the car didn’t hit us and we were back on the road we were originally going straight on and the car that hit us was on their way to the gas station next to the road we came from. I remember thinking I went insane that day and was for certain thinking it was a crash, but I came out alive that day. I then realized and knew that God was with us and sent his angels to protect us from dying from the crash. I knew that he had them redirect our car just slightly in a way that we wouldn’t have crashed. From this moment and now as a fully licensed driver, I know to be a good driver I have to be clear with what I’m doing on the road. I have to be clear with my actions so other drivers don’t misunderstand. This prevents accidents. As a driver, my goals are to always be clear, to drive at the speed limit, and to not do anything that might be a distraction to my driving and to avoid other selfish driver’s actions as much as I can.

In conclusion, I have been taught how to drive safely from experiences and with driver’s ed. Without the two, I would be inexperienced and probably would have gotten into a crash by now. To this day I have never been in an accident and that’s with having my license for a year and a half. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay. May you consider this essay for the “In Driver’s Seat” Scholarship. .