2023 Driver Education Initiative Scholarship Application Essay

With the horrific reality of the fact that motor-related deaths have proven to be one of the most dangerous and common forms of taking precious lives, it is essential that driver’s education be taken as a serious and vital way to help lower the rising death count. In my experience driving, I am constantly recounting what I learned during my driver’s education courses and implementing them during my commute. I am always reminding myself to remain vigilant of cars not just directly in front of me, but in front of them as well; I remember to track my speed in residential areas even when a sign is absent; I remember to be mindful of the distance I maintain between myself and cars as I drive. In this way, the skills and knowledge I gained in driver’s education courses are always quick to come up in my mind and remind me to make smart and safe choices so that I get to my destination safely.

Some steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be to encourage people to get cars with advanced safety features. Audi has initiated seat belt features that automatically tighten when the car senses sudden impact, and many cars are also being upgraded to have advanced braking systems. This proves not always to be an easy fix on the surface, because, as inflation threatens to cripple the average working-class household, safe cars are expensive and oftentimes out of people’s price range. Nevertheless, ways to reduce deaths from driving related accidents include making sure to always maintain the speed limit. So many accidents result in fatalities when excessive speed is a factor, so making sure to be mindful of speed is a clear and sure way to prevent deaths.

While I have never experienced a car accident, my father did. Early in the dark hours of the morning, on his way to work, a milk transportation truck ran a stop sign and collided with my father’s work truck. He stayed in the hospital for a week with a punctured lung, broken ribs, and extensive damage to his right knee. It was a difficult time for my family; my adult siblings—who look to my father as the foundation of our family unit—were overcome with shock, fear, and anxiety. I watched my mother rely on the strength of God to energize and motivate her, but I know the shock and fear of the almost death we could have faced played in her mind, even though she reflected nothing but strength and power in Christ. While the driver who hit my father was not distracted, he was tired, and when he let his eyes fall for just a second too long, he caused an accident that could not be undone. Nevertheless, my father has fully recovered in the many years following the accident, but I still see signs that he thinks about the accident often when he drives. He tenses when cars pull out of neighborhoods and onto the roads; he flexes his hand and takes a sharp intake of breath, his body bracing for the accident even though years have helped him physically recover.

In this way, I have seen the lasting impact a traumatic accident can have on a person and how it alters the way they drive forever after. Thus, I have seen the importance of instigating and maintaining good driving habits. Therefore, some steps that can be taken to help others be better and safer drivers starts at the source of distracted driving: phones. In my personal life, the ways I prevent texting and driving are that I initiate my phone setting to mute notifications while I drive so that even if I do get a text or social media alert, it will mute the notification, and I will not see it until my phone detects that I am no longer in motion. On a daily basis, this helps keep my eyes locked and focused on the road so that I do not cause an accident. Many times, I have been driving, and because I was alert to the traffic patterns happening before me, I was able to move quickly and prevent an accident when a poor driver nearly caused a collision. Therefore, I have found silencing notifications incredibly valuable in my daily commute, and I would urge others to do the same. Another suggestion I would propose to help people remain focused and not distracted when driving would be for the individual to notify others when they get on the road. Sending a simple text letting a person know that they have started their commute will help the person they are communicating with know not to message the driver. With this, I also find sharing locations with others is a helpful safety tip so that in the case of an emergency, trusted individuals in the driver’s life can be aware of updates of their loved ones.

It is clear that as America’s youth continue to grow in a digital world, the temptation to succumb to its influence and the magic of its accessibility is powerful. Nevertheless, it is so important to encourage all drivers to engage in safe practices when behind the wheel, because it could be that simple act that saves their life.