Name: Hannah Phillips
From: Melbourne, Florida
Votes: 0
Hannah
Phillips
11/11/2019
Driver
Safety Scholarship Essay
In
the Driver’s Seat
Car
accidents are one of the leading causes of death among teenagers.
Young people are more prone to get into accidents due to the fact
that they are highly inexperienced. These accidents are dangerous and
the importance of driver safety should be enforced in driver
education schooling. There are many steps to be safe on the road;
however, one mistake on the road can result in injury or even death.
For this reason, all drivers should be conscious of the decisions
they make while driving and be situationally aware at all times.
There
is a reason that teenagers have to take a class about driving before
they get behind the wheel. Vehicles should be considered weapons
because they can do serious damage to people and property if used
irresponsibly. Often, these issues stem from the parents who are the
main influences of teenage drivers from the start. Young kids pay
attention to their parents who are driving. If the parent is not
wearing a seatbelt, the child is not going to see a reason to wear a
seatbelt when they learn to drive. Classes for drivers ed may
not be the most exciting material to learn, but they are essential to
becoming a responsible driver. Some things that people should avoid
doing on the road are drinking while driving, texting, and listening
to loud music. Additionally, it is crucial to wear a seatbelt every
time a person is in a vehicle.
I
had an experience watching a car accident that was quite frightening.
As a runner for my high school cross country team, we often go out
through the city to run. Upon our arrival back to the high school, we
had to cross the street at a designated crosswalk that had flashing
lights to alert the drivers that they had to stop and let runners
cross. One car in particular did not slow down at all and we knew not
to cross the street or we would get hit. At the last second, the car
noticed the flashing lights and screeched to a halt only to get rear
ended by another car behind it. All the while, me and some other
runners were within an arm’s reach of the whole accident. Even though
I had the right of way, I always assume the driver does not see me
until they stop. This experience taught me that distracted driving is
a huge danger to not only the driver, but also people trying to cross
the street.
Overall,
being less distracted and following the rules of the road will reduce
the number of deaths by accident since people will be more focused on
their driving. New technology has improved car capability and some
cars even sense when to stop if need be. My parents have spent lots
of time making sure that I am going to be a safe driver. For example,
during the first six months of my experience learning to drive, I was
not allowed to have the radio on at all because I did not want to be
distracted by the music. Driving safely is something that is hard to
accomplish due to the increased number of distractions in society,
but if people focus on the road more, the amount of deaths from car
accidents will undoubtedly decrease.
