2024 Driver Education Essay Contest

Driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do as an American. And when you do so, I believe the most important thing you can do is to remember that you are not just driving for yourself, but you are driving for everyone else on the road too.

When I turned seventeen, I bought my first car. I remember my parents being so nervous while I was on the road. They would make me text them when I left, text them when I arrived, and call them while I was there just to hear my voice. I realized that many people in my family and community have died due to reckless driving. Whether that would be drunk driving, texting and driving, or mistakes other people have made on the road. A lot of people think that driving is mostly common sense, but you’d be surprised to find out that a lot of people still can’t drive. And when I say can’t drive, I mean the people who are reckless and don’t follow laws or road signs.

When a person takes drivers ed, they teach the importances of driving a car that is up to date and safe, as well as being attentive to road signs, and traffic patterns. Driving education plays a critical role in reducing deaths. By being aware of the risks of driving, like not wearing a seatbelt and speeding, everyone can navigate the roads safer.

You always must be in the mindset to drive for other people, you must always assume that they are bad drivers, this promotes defensive driving, which teaches the drivers to anticipate and properly react to hazardous situations. It is also important to drive according to the weather conditions, like, if it is foggy, don’t cut on your high beams. If it is raining, drive below the speed limit and try not to slam on the gas at a green light.

I know nobody is perfect, and we all become tempted at some point. Looking at our phone, eating, putting on makeup, whatever it might be, there are little things we can implement to be safer on the road. For example, if your car has Bluetooth, set up your phone so that it automatically connects when you get in your car, that way when you’re on the phone, you can still have your attention on the road and both hands on the wheel. If you have a car like mine, and it’s older, then buy a Bluetooth adapter.

To become a better driver myself I know I can set my phone to automatically go silent when I am driving so that I have no distractions from notifications or social media. As a young driver I feel like we tend to drive or carpool with other young people. So, I can encourage my friends to drive more safely as well.

I have only been in a car accident once and it was only a scratch. So even though it could have been dangerous it was not all that bad. However, I have a lot of friends who have been in accidents, and it is scary to even be a bystander. I guess you realize that in the matter of seconds your whole life can be gone. And it is always due to recklessness. The night of prom a lot of my classmates got drunk. Prior to prom no one was set to be a designated driver, so they all drove themselves back home. One classmate was so intoxicated he couldn’t decipher between the colors of the traffic lights. Unfortunately, he crashed. Now I won’t say too much but he is alive and well. Although this could have easily been avoided and way worse. Imagine if he crashed into another car? What if there were kids in the car? Sometimes people don’t care about things such as reckless driving because it may not affect them at that moment. But it is sad to know that it takes something like totaling your car or getting a DUI before people realize how dangerous it really is. Thousands of people kill themselves and others every year, because they don’t care to understand the rules of driving fully. Some people are just outright ignorant of the importance of simple things like changing your tires when the tread is gone. It is imperative to keep resources available to educate people about safe driving. Fewer accidents can help promote community safety. Less accidents means less injuries and deaths, which is ultimately what we should all strive to achieve.