Driver Initiative Award Essay

Drive Initiative Award Scholarship Essay

Driving is a fickle attribute of society. Automobiles help carry people from place to place faster than they ever could before. This efficiency gives people the freedom to travel at will, and encourages adventure and exploration. Yet, will all the positive features that driving gains through necessity and pleasure, the elephant is in the room. Almost 1.4 million people die annually from car accidents or automobile-related injuries. This is not new information, people around the world have been told for decades the importance of safe driving, and yet many still choose to drive intoxicated, drowsy, or speeds significantly higher than the speed limit. What can people do to decrease the rate of deaths due to driving?

In my opinion, if drivers are properly educated in the importance of being safe and aware while driving, then the number of associated deaths is sure to decrease. Personally, I would never drive around with music blaring or with many people, especially on busy areas of road. A scenario like this is filled with distractions, and may not be a safe pastime for any drivers. While there is no singular answer to how to reduce the number of car-related deaths, I believe encouraging young drivers to follow the rules taught by local DMV driving courses is extremely important and could help in reducing the number of injuries related to driving. Too often I see young drivers skipping over rules or recommended skill practices related to driving, and they or their parents have to pay the price of reckless driving. Another potential measure to decrease the deaths related to driving would be to input a system into people’s cars that could somehow test the blood-alcohol levels and/or integrity of the drivers before the car would actually start. A system like this could potentially keep intoxicated drivers off of the roads, protecting themselves and other drivers.

Thankfully, I have never been in a car accident. I do however know multiple people who have experienced one, none of them seriously hurt. I worry about this at times. There are certain road sections in my community that are quite prone to car accidents, some sections even hold multiple car-related deaths. I worry that one day a friend of mine in my community will be a part of a car accident, whether they lost control or someone else does, and they will be seriously injured. I worry about this when I myself am driving down these certain road sections. I am disappointed that I have been made to feel this way about certain areas in my community because without fail, I hear another ambulance go to one of these road sections at least once a month.

As I continue to be a safe driver by using my blinkers and checking lanes before I move left or right, I hope that by being a good driver I can set an example and potentially help people to be mindful on the road. I will also keep the mindset that, no matter where I am trying to go, it is never important enough to be a reckless driver.