Driver Education Initiative Award Application

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Our systems in America reflect this in our permit tests and road laws. However, in today’s world, we see so many vehicle accidents and it begs the question, what is the core issue? The problem with drivers today and the reason we have so many road accidents is that drivers feel entitled to their licenses to drive.

Our driver education system is ingrained in our society. Every driver must pass their permit test and complete the driving test with a trained instructor. We can see the positive effects of this on the road with drivers obeying the rules of the road and it works. For the most part. Unfortunately, we can see that the system does not always work and that there are accidents that are dangerous and in the worst case will take lives. According to data taken from The United States Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities started to decrease after 2005 and unfortunately began to rise again after 2019. In 2022 there were reportedly 42,514 fatalities from vehicle accidents. We are in a timeline where the fatalities on the road are increasing. How can we prevent such awful occurrences? I think the key lies in the mindset of drivers.

I have seen in my own experience a majority of new drivers who feel entitled to a driver’s license. In high school, kids talked more about what car they wanted their parents to buy them than actually getting their license. And when a student got pulled over for speeding they were upset at the cop. They would complain that they were “only” going over the speed limit by 10 miles per hour. I see this as ignorance and a failure to understand the importance of being able to drive. These new drivers, if not corrected, will carry this attitude with them through their entire driving career. They will see cops as bad guys out to get them instead of ensuring that every driver is safe from reckless driving. This type of behavior and thinking is an unhealthy relationship with the responsibility of driving. The solution to this problem is quite simple. I think to solve this issue we just need to add an extra section to the testing procedure when getting a driver’s license. A new driver should know the current statistics of fatalities on the road and the breakdown of causes. They should be able to show a convincing knowledge of why cops enforce the rules of the road, and why driving is not a right. Lastly, I think they should either write an essay or present their case to the instructor about why they want to have their license. I think this could considerably reduce the number of accidents on the road and at the very least remind drivers of the implications of driving and how serious it can be.

This topic is very personal to me. At one time in my life, I did not care about driver safety. I never wore my seatbelt and it is embarrassing to say but I didn’t care if I got in an accident. It wasn’t until I worked with a family friend who was a firefighter and developed a close relationship with him did I finally see the light. He took me aside and told me that he had to fire me after seeing me drive off without a seatbelt. He explained that as a firefighter, he could not in good conscious keep me hired. He had seen the aftermath of car accidents for years and knew what would happen if I didn’t change my behavior. He also explained that I couldn’t stay because I could influence his younger son in a very negative way as we were also friends. He told me all of this in love and it impacted me deeply. I remained friends with him and have since worked for him again. Now I am extra conscious of what happens on the road and the responsibility I bear as a driver to do so safely.

I intend to stay cautious on the road and want to encourage anyone reading this that you can significantly reduce the chance of an accident on the road by reframing how you view driving. We do not have a right to drive but earn the responsibility to drive by testing and proving our knowledge of the road. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our loved ones, and other drivers to stay safe and be intentional in our behavior while driving. I urge you to be wise in your decisions and I will strive to do the same.

Dear scholarship providers,

Thank you for considering me eligible for your gift of a scholarship to aid me on my academic journey. I hope you have a wonderful day.