2022 Driver Education: Scholarship Essay

Students who are at least 14½ years old and are pursuing a high school diploma or GED can enroll in an approved driver education course provided through North Carolina high schools (Official NCDMV: Driver Education Courses, 2021). A birth certificate or passport is required to enroll. There are two phases to the course; A classroom portion where it involves 30 hours and an eye exam, the second portion is a driving phase of six hours with an instructor. Funny fact: never tell an instructor you drove beforehand. From personal experience my mom wanted to be honest and told him I knew how already. When I committed my first mistake the instructor corrected me and said ¨I thought you knew how to already.¨ It can be a nerve-wracking experience but a really valuable learning experience.

The importance of driver education in reducing the numbers of deaths as a result of driving is tremendously important for prevention of fatal car accidents and getting you out of a traffic ticket. I look at it as saving a loved one of mine. I would be devastated to hear I have lost a loved one due to someone not knowing better and being a reckless driver. I feel that since driver education is available to high school students it should be taken the initiative to be a requirement of the graduation process. Students will benefit from it in being aware of the importance of being safe and cautious drivers. Should be thought of as instructing your children from a young age to do the right thing. Planting the seed in them to know the importance of wearing a seatbelt, to not speeding up when seeing a yellow light, using your turn signals and much more to save a life. Not only as a child but as one goes to renew their IDs, there should be a class they take to fresh their memory on rules and regulations just like any other profession who gets a license does.

I have never personally experienced losing someone I know or a loved one by a car accident but I did see my dad suffer due to one. It broke my heart to see what had happened. The only way I can describe it is that when I saw him he looked like a mummy. The crash was so fatal that the car caught fire and my cousin was able to get out and when he tried to get my dad it was too late. When they were finally able to get him out he had extreme burns all over his body. A careless mistake of someone not paying attention and running a red light caused devastating harm to the family. Our family was greatly affected because he was our sole provider. It brought us financial problems to where we were homeless for a period of time till my mom was able to provide for me and my little brother. If the driver would have only paid attention it would have saved us all from a tragic experience. I have seen close friends and family use their phones but when that happens I take over and ask them what they want to do so I can do it for them. Not on my watch.

Driving a car can give you freedom. But it’s also one of the riskiest things you do every day (Safe Driving, 2020). More than 36,000 people died in car accidents in the U.S. in 2018. Millions more are injured each year (Safe Driving, 2020). Many things can make driving risky. To play my part I always watch my speed, pay full attention to the road, no distractions like my phone. If I need to set something up I do it before driving off. The one that scares me the worst is driving while tired. The old saying goes üDriving while tired is worse than driving while drunk.¨ It all increases your chances of a crash. We are not perfect and of course can make mistakes but if we can play a part in making a day go by without losing someone or causing harm to others it will help us be a better peace and not having anxiety every time you leave your house. Because something as simple as running a red light can cause devastation to a family.

References

Official NCDMV: Driver Education Courses. (2021, November 12). NCDOT. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/driver-education.aspx

Safe Driving. (2020, 06). NIH News in Health. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2020/06/safe-driving