Name: Ayla Morwin
From: Voorheesville, New York
Votes: 0
Ayla
Morwin
October
29. 2019
Driver
Education Initiative Essay Scholarship
Taking
the NYS Drivers ed course has opened my eyes up to a whole
different way of looking at the consequences of my and other drivers’
actions on the road. Because of this course, myself and my peers are
able to articulate ways to be cautious, safe, and careful drivers,
yet what the course also showed us were the heart wrenching stories
of those whose lives and futures have been devastated as a result of
unsafe driving. Although any instructor can tell us what to do and
what not to do to stay safe, we can never truly understand the
implications unless we hear or experience the consequences firsthand.
The importance of proper drivers ed is just that, one is able
to firsthand ask specific questions about road etiquette.
Specific
actions that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to
driving are to continue enforcing the notion that distracted driving
is dangerous. According to AAA people ages 16-17 get into the most
crashes per 100 million miles driven. Along with the possibility of
this being caused by inexperience, this age group is also the most
familiar with cell phones. So, informational advertisement portraying
the consequences of looking off the road or talking on the phone
while driving, will serve as a reminder for youth especially, that
driving should not be a job of multitasking, but that it requires
full attention to the road and the other vehicles around as well. In
most cases people of these age groups live with their parents and
have their first car or are driving their parents car. With this,
parents have a huge responsibility to encourage and show their
children how to be cautious drivers especially if the teens would not
suffer the consequences of paying for damage or insurance in the case
of an accident.
A
year after getting my license I got into an accident. From that point
on I realized that when it came to driving I had to be completely in
control. Although my car has a manual transmission and I find myself
having to focus on my speed and rpms more often than my peers, it in
no way means that I will have perfect judgement. When I chose to put
control in the hands of others, I made a huge miscalculation in
deciding to turn as she hurriedly pointed out the turn just as we
almost passed it. I know now that being behind the wheel means that
you are not only in full responsibility of your own passengers, but
of other drivers and their passengers as well. From this experience,
as a passenger I am quick to point out that I do not feel comfortable
with them looking at their phone, or driving recklessly and I will
add my personal experience as well as the stories of others who have
been affected by unsafe driving.
