Drivers ed scholarship

I believe that drivers ed is extremely important in reducing the amount of fatalities behind the wheel. Being a sixteen year old that has recently begun driving, all I hear about is being safe on the road and other people constantly telling me how I am supposed to drive. I also notice how my peers see driving and how it is different from the way I see it. Many teens in America, and especially where I am from, view driving as a freeing and fun thing to do when bored. At our age, driving around is a relaxing thing to do when you need to get out and do something. However, unlike most other teenagers, I understand how much of a privilege driving is and also how dangerous it can be if safety is not a top priority.

Most people my age never read the manual when preparing for their learners permit like I did, and this is reflected in how they drive. When I ride with them, I notice key mistakes they make that were covered in the driver’s manual. They simply take practice tests until they memorize the answers for the quiz. Although this gets them through the test, all the important information they learned is quickly forgotten as they begin to actually need it.

I think that distracted driving is the most common and fixable mistake that drivers of all ages suffer from. Different types of distracted driving are texting, eating, grooming, changing the radio, and looking away from the road. These impact all ages and are what I consider the most dangerous things people do while driving on the road. What the distracted drivers don’t understand is that once your hands and eyes are not on the wheel and road, you are distracted.

I have not been in an automobile accident and I believe it is because I am careful about being distracted. I did often find myself correcting my dad when he was looking through the contacts on his phone to find someone to call. He didn’t realize how often he did this and how long his eyes stayed off the road. Telling my dad to keep his eyes on the road didn’t help, so I taught him how to use hands free navigation with his bluetooth so he never has to take his eyes off the road. Not only does he find the contact he is looking for quicker, but it has also made a drastic difference in how he drives.

I know we, as a society, can decrease all types of distractions. It takes commitment from older, more experienced drivers to teach by example the proper conduct while sitting behind the wheel of a car. I also think that drivers should be required to read the driver’s manual before renewing their license. There are many bad habits that can be corrected just by re-reading the manual. Finally, new drivers should be cautioned from thinking that driving is just a fun thing to do.