learning doesn’t stop at sixteen

Firstly, I would like to say that this essay has pecked my interest. As a CDL, motorcycle, and driver license holder, I’m on the road a lot. For pleasure and for my job as an electrical line worker. I have seen some crazy things from hit electrical poles, to rear end collisions.

The fear is real in my job, when I set up on the road to work the thought is always in my head, what if someone runs through my barricades and rear ends my bucket truck while I am 40 feet in the air. The simple fact is that there should more serious driver education courses.

My mother and I was just talking about this the other day, there needs to be some version of a re-test every five years or so. I think this would have a significant impact on the total amount of deaths that is related to driving. One of the things I was told when I was just starting to drive is “driving is a privilege, not a right”. I honestly do believe that. When someone gets behind that wheel, they are driving a two-thousand-pound deadly weapon. This statement I just made proves itself true time and time again.

One example, I went on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My mother and sister live in North Carolina, and I live in Ohio. I decided to ride my motorcycle down and meet them at Myrtle Beach. I am almost to Myrle Beach when a driver with no turn signal starts to come over in my lane. I was super lucky that there was a center lane where I was able to escape to. This was a full-size SUV the outcome from this would have been life altering if let’s say there were a wall there instead of a center lane.

What was the reasoning behind my near miss? I was in that lane for a while maintaining proper speed and distance behind the car in front of me. I was alert and checking my mirrors frequently. I did nothing wrong. What about the SUV, obviously they didn’t use their turn signal. Did they even check their mirrors? Were they on their cellphone? One thing is for sure they would have failed their driver’s test.

With many skills that we do for our jobs, there are always refresher courses. As an electrical line worker, I am constantly having to take safety courses. Things change in line work all the time, there are always new rules a new simpler way to do the same thing and I am expected to be up to date on all of it.

Why are drivers not held accountable for this in the same way I am? My job is dangerous but electrical line worker deaths don’t come anywhere close to the total number of deaths annually caused by car accidents. All I am saying is that there needs to be more training other than what most of us learned at sixteen years old.

I would like to see a test that has to be taken every five to ten years. Until you reach an age for example like around seventy then a bi-yearly test needs to take place. The test should include use of mirrors and maneuverability along with any rules that have changed since the last time they were tested. This test should be a three attempts pass / fail format. After three fails the person well must go back to driving school.

I understand that all this will cost money, but like I have heard time and time again. You can’t put a price on safety, at the end of the day we all want to go home to our family and loved ones. With this being a large impact on families all around the United States, not just in deaths but also in life alterations that leave people not able to live a normal life. We need to make a change; safety is contagious don’t be afraid to spread it!

I hope to get this scholarship to help me achieve my goal to become an electrical engineer. I already have ten years in the electrical trade, and I have been pushing myself to become an electrical engineer. I went to a community college to get my associates of science. Now I am transferring to The Ohio State University to get my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Still working full time and going to college full-time and am still maintaining a 3.4 GPA. I have the drive but help with the funds would be greatly appreciated.