The Importance of Drivers ed

Gavin
Heyneman

01/18/20

Drivers
Education Essay

Scholarship
Committee

The
Importance of Drivers ed

Driving
is something that is utilized in everyday life. Some people see it as
a get away from everything that is happening in their life. Others
simply see it as a faster and more efficient form of transportation.
Regardless of each individual’s reason behind driving, driving a
motor vehicle is something that is thought to be a societal norm and
is often taken for granted. Because of this, many people fail to see
the importance of safe driving and the drastic effects it can have on
families, friends, and the people around it.

In
order to acquire a drivers license in the United States of America,
there are certain steps that an individual has to take in order to
achieve a drivers license. Many people see this as annoying or time
consuming. I myself am guilty of this. However, there is a reason
behind this. Driving a motor vehicle can be compared to driving a
machine that can, for lack of a better term, possibly kill somebody
or seriously injure an individual if the driver is not careful. In
order to prevent drivers from doing so, it is important to practice
driving before acquiring a driver’s license. As people may already
know, the first steps in getting a driver’s license is getting a
learners permit. A learners permit allows the individual to practice
driving a motor vehicle without getting an actual driver’s license.
One caveat to this is that the individual must complete a 30 hour
drivers ed course if the driver is 15 to 15 and a half
years old. If the driver is between the ages of 15 and a half to 16
years old, they have the option of completing either the 30 hour
drivers ed course or a 4 hour driving awareness class
before applying for a learners permit. If the individual is 16 or
older, they don’t require any formal education before applying for
a learner’s permit. Once the necessary steps are taken to get a
learners permit, the individual then must log in at least 50 hours of
driving experience which includes a minimum of 10 hours while driving
at night. Once the individual has completed this task, they then must
pass a driving test in order to achieve an actual driver’s license.

Driving
irresponsibly is something that everyone has done at some point
throughout their lives. I have unfortunately witnessed a tragic death
just outside of my high school from a motor vehicular accident. For
the respect of the driver and his family, I will not provide any
details regarding the victims name and other stuff of that nature.
The truck was T-boned by an SUV at an intersection. The driver that
hit the victim admitted to texting and driving and disregarded the
stop sign that was in front of her. The victim was traveling at a
high rate of speed that exceeded the speed limit and was not wearing
his seatbelt. Because of this T-bone, the truck had rolled over the
median, flipped a few times, and finally came to a stop with the
drivers side window laying against the pavement. The victim was
ejected from the vehicle through the front drivers side window
because he was not wearing his seatbelt. The victim died upon impact.
Putting aside the tragedy and heartache, people can learn from this
so that this accident doesn’t happen again.

I
myself am guilty of driving irresponsibly. This includes traveling at
higher rates of speed that exceed the speed limit, not coming to a
complete stop at stop signs that are otherwise known as a Californai
stop, and looking at my phone while driving. I realize that this is
not safe and should be accounted for in the near future. I will make
sure to drive the speed limit with an exception of driving at a rate
of speed that breaks the speed limit by about 5 miles per hour, I
will also make sure to come to a complete stop at stop signs, and I
will put down my phone and possibly power off my phone. These are
some common issues that people other than me also follow and do. It
is important for these people and I to follow these corrected steps.
Doing so will result in an overall safer environment for drivers and
the people around it at the time.