“In The Drivers Seat”

DMV “In the Driver’s Seat” Scholarship

Being behind the wheel is a big responsibility, and is often taken advantage of. You are in control of a five-thousand-pound plus vehicle that could turn into a weapon if not careful. This could lead to major life changes to you and innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, what can we do to help prevent the number of deaths that occur on the road? I believe this can be answered through a number of things. First of all, the importance of education should be explained. Then details on what we can do to help lower this number in the future, based on the most common causes of accidents. Last but not least, what can I personally do to make a difference.

Education is very important when it comes to driving. I have found that all states have different requirements when getting a license. In the state I live in, Minnesota, I was required to take thirty hours of classroom instruction. We were taught basic laws and how to drive responsibly. They even explained the importance of paying attention to the road and to never drive while impaired. We were also shown videos on distracted and impaired drivers that took another drivers life. One of the videos I will never forget. It went in depth on both sides of a story on how a drunk driver killed another person. I will never forget the pain and guilt that the driver felt after the accident, and they had to live with it for the rest of their life. It also showed the family who lost a family member, which was extremely sad to see, as they too had to live with the pain. I believe this video clip put into perspective the amount of responsibility there is to be behind the wheel. This was brought to life in my small town. I was on my way home and passed the accident. I could tell it was really bad due to the crash site and the ambulance that was there. Later that night I found out that my friend’s mom was hit by an impaired driver while on her way to work. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it, but the driver did. To this day, the daughter still cannot take that road to school. I think that everyone should be educated on how one little mistake can change a person’s life.

Many factors can cause accidents, sometimes resulting in death. Not all of them can be completely avoided, however there are things that can help reduce the chances of it happening. When I hear of accidents, I’ve noticed that the most common causes are from being distracted, impaired, or driving too fast/recklessly. I consider distractions to be a big topic because it has so many things that can fall under it. Whether it’s the use of a cell phone, messing with the radio, picking up fallen objects while the vehicle is in motion, looking in a direction other than the road, or even people in the car with you. All of these things take a certain amount of your focus off the road. So, what can we do to fix this? We should try to limit these things from happening. Granted some of these actions are already being enforced by the law, hoping that you follow them, the others are totally up to you. For example, if you have a hard time focusing when there are too many people in the car, you could be better off driving alone or lessening the number of passengers. You can also create a playlist for music before you leave, that way you don’t have to mess with it while driving. Now if we add another factor along with distractions, let’s say speeding. This will reduce your reaction, making an accident more likely. For this reason, I think it is also very important to follow what the conditions allow. Take into account the weather and how far you are able to see being day or night. The last topic is quite straight forward. You should never get behind the wheel if you are impaired. I believe that others can make quite a difference if you stop this from happening. These are just some of the things that I personally think can help reduce deaths related to motor vehicle accidents.

When entering the road, you are bound to find yourself passing or even witnessing a car accident at some point. I’m sure there is usually curiosity about what happened, and then move on with our day. However, we don’t think about the chances that it could’ve been us in that same situation. That is until it happens to you, making your perspective on the risks of driving become more real. Unfortunately, this became my reality. One night I was driving home with my parents and noticed that the vehicle behind me was a little bit closer than l liked due to the glare of their headlights into my rearview mirror. I continued on until I noticed a dark animal in the middle of my lane in front of me, so of course I slammed on my brakes. I wasn’t able to slow down in time and ended up bumping it with my right bumper. Within seconds, I felt like I was in a bumper car. It took me a minute to realize what had happened. I was rear ended by a Ford F150, resulting in my car being totaled. The driver admitted that she was watching the animal instead of me in front of her. Thankfully it did not result in any death, however my dad was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. After this accident occurred, I believe I have become a more aware driver. Which leads me to think about what I can do to help prevent accidents on the road.

I believe I take driving very seriously, as I could be considered high risk. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of six. This means that I can either get high or low blood sugars due to my body not being able to create insulin. Therefore, this could cause problems while being behind the wheel. To make sure that I keep myself and others safe, I am required to get a doctor’s signature every six months to be allowed on the road. The only way to be approved is to have a good A1C, meaning I need to make sure I am taking care of my blood sugars or I will not be allowed to drive. I am also required to check my blood sugar before driving. As long as it is in range, I am good to go. However, if it is low, I have to take sugar and wait for it to go up before leaving. When I first found out about this, a teenager that needs permission from a doctor to drive, I was not the happiest. However, thinking about how fast an accident can occur, I am thankful that people with medical conditions need to be monitored to keep others safe.