Safety Has No Borders

Sarah Yoon

9 November 2020

In the Driver’s Seat Scholarship

Safety Has No Borders

One of the greatest sources of freedom for adolescents is getting one’s driver’s license. The moment building up to receiving the glorified plastic card in the mail is something that almost all American high school students look forward to experiencing. However, before having the ability to show off one’s license, all students must go through driver education to make sure they understand not only how to drive, but the amount of responsibility they have once they are on the road. Once they are in the driver’s seat, one of the most important things they have learned is that they are there to learn how to drive correctly not only for the safety of themselves but for other drivers and pedestrians as well. Driver education teaches students how to read signs properly, what to do in certain situations, how to abide by laws and handle certain emergency situations. All of these things are extremely important in reducing the number of accidents that can lead to death. With the proper education, there would be a much higher rate of reckless occurrences and potentially more deaths as well.

In order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, I believe it is always safe to review the laws of the road and create more safe driving environments to practice. Driving is not only about controlling the vehicle itself, but it is always checking up on your own body and mental space to make sure that you are in a stable condition to drive. Abiding by the laws to make sure that you are not driving irresponsibly while intoxicated is one huge way to reduce the number of deaths caused by driving. In addition, making sure you are constantly refreshing yourself on how to follow the hand signals and signs is essential. Another way to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to practice your driving. In a safe, local area, practicing how to brake safely, look both ways, and signal properly are all important steps to ensure that you are driving safely and properly thus reducing the number of driving-related deaths.

In the past couple of years, I have had a couple of poor experiences of being in a car accident due to other people not being very proactive while driving. When I had my first experience, I was so young I did not really understand what was happening. However, as I grew older and I experienced more recent memories of car crashes, the trauma began to stick with me. Now whenever I am on the road, either I am driving or someone else is, I am much more cautious and on edge. Even a lane change or speeding can make me more nervous in the car. Nevertheless, I have worked on growing past my fears and using these cautionary mindsets to help me drive more safely and become more aware of my surroundings.

To make sure that I am a better and safe driver on the road, I want to practice being on the road and becoming comfortable with my community’s roads specifically. I believe the best way to make sure that I am a safe driver is being experienced and knowledgeable of what to expect and react in certain situations. With more experiences under my belt, I will be able to react quickly in times of emergencies. As previously mentioned, I believe to be a safe and better driver is taking care of the driver themself. My body must be prepared to drive and stay focused on the road only. Being too tired, intoxicated, or distracted are all very dangerous situations that will inhibit me from driving to my best ability. I must understand that asking a friend to drive or opting for public transportation is also important that real safe and good drivers make.