Drive Safe to Save Lives

2021 Driver’s Ed Scholarship

Driving education is one of the most important aspects to keep in mind before getting behind the wheel. Many people do not take driver education seriously which adds to the issue of so many fatalities being due to distractions and inexperience. Driving education is important mainly in order to prevent these fatalities from taking place. Many argue that the age of sixteen is too young which is why there are so many accidents, but there are thousands of accidents being caused by adults as well.

Rather than offering driving school up until people turn eighteen in some states like Ohio, I feel that it should be mandatory everywhere. I also feel that high schools should have mandatory classes before driving school as well, in order to earn extra preparation before hitting the road. These two ideas would help educate people all around the world by making the courses mandatory. I feel that many people avoid them by waiting to get past the age gap, but then do not receive as much driving education when compared to others. It is important to find ways to reduce deaths due to driving, which is why education should always come first.

I feel strongly on this topic as my family and friends have experienced many horrible car accidents. While most of the accidents I have experienced with my family have not been fatal, it was surprising that one was not. A few years ago, my dad was hit when driving through an intersection. The truck that hit his car was pulling a boat behind it and decided to run a stop sign causing my dads car to spin out of control, up onto the guard rail. After seeing the pictures of my dad’s car from the accident, our family was shocked that my dad walked away without a scratch. His car was destroyed so badly that we did not understand how he made it out alive. We are grateful that he was safe, but this is only one instance that makes me feel strongly on driving education. I have also experienced some car accidents firsthand including a friend’s car catching on fire and being rear ended. I was just rear ended around this time last year, causing my car to be totaled. As none of the accidents that I have witnessed in these experiences have been mine or my families’ fault, it made me realize how many people still have not received the driving education they need.

Though this is a common issue today, there are many ways in which I plan to become a safer driver, as well as, raising awareness for other people to become safer drivers as well. I feel that we can all agree that cell phones play a huge role in these fatal accidents, but luckily there are many solutions to this distraction. One-way people can become safer on the road, is to either silence their phones while driving, or putting it in a place that is unreachable while driving as well. This will eliminate the biggest distraction on the road and help save so many lives. No message or notification is worth anyone’s life. Another important factor to keep in mind before getting on the road is energy. It is essential to remember to never drive when you are tired as some people tend to zone out or doze off while driving. This has caused so many accidents because those people are not putting their full focus on the road. While driving on the road, a person’s eyes should be constantly scanning surroundings in order to prevent any sort of accident. Though I consider myself a safe driver, there are ways I could become an even safer one. After learning how many fatalities due to driving that there is each year, I vow to pay more attention to the road and less on electronics such as the radio and my phone. I feel that this is the easiest way to become distracted. Though I never get on my phone while driving, I do tend to mess with my radio. Starting now, I vow to listen to my music quieter and to silence my phone completely so my focus can stay on the road until I reach my destination.

Overall, driving is a huge responsible that deserves to be earned rather than given. People should prove to professionals that they are safe enough to control a vehicle on the road and have attend the proper educational courses before engaging in driving a vehicle. When these needs are not met, there must be more discipline and punishment instilled in order to cause less people to seek out these dangerous actions. A life is never worth driving without education or any driving distraction.