Imagine you are 15 or 16 again sitting in a class with all your friends getting ready to enter the world of driving. You might even be a little bit older! Driving is such an exciting thing to learn. However, with driving comes great responsibility. It is not all just fun and games. You learn how to share when you start in school and continue to learn throughout school. Drivers’ education is a steppingstone into the world of driving. Education in driving can reduce the number of deaths by preparing you for situations that may occur while you are driving and preparing you for such events. Education for driving is dire. You are taught what the signs mean, how to drive, how to merge, and how to safely share the road with others and even what to do in emergencies that could be life threatening. Knowing the rules and laws allows you to be a safe driver and have respect for the road which in turn will allow you so reduce the number of deaths by being a competent driver. Having harsher punishments for people who drive under the influence would be a good idea as well. Not only are they endangering themselves, but they are endangering every person around them when they get on the road. For drivers training, I think practicing real life scenarios is something that would greatly benefit drivers. Teach them how to change tires and do regular checks on their oil. These are such simple things that could make such a big difference in the world of driving and vehicle care. Continuing education is something that could be used to continue to aid in the reduction of deaths related to driving. If people take refresher classes every so often, or even if laws change and people are required to be tested on the new laws. I think this would help in the reduction of vehicle related deaths. I have been in a couple of car accidents that were minor but scary none the less. I remember driving slow down an icy road and getting caught in a rut and spinning out with my friend in the vehicle. We almost went off the road down a culvert. There was a sign there that spun us and kept us on the road thankfully. In that moment all I wanted to do was make sure they were okay. Luckily, we were just fine, however the car was damaged. I have also lost friends in car accidents to people driving irresponsibly. I lost a friend her senior year of high school due to someone not driving for the foggy conditions and blowing a stop sign and t-boning her car. I was devastated. I had known her since the third grade, and she was my neighbor. Someone I had shared so many life adventures with was gone. Had they been driving for the conditions and a little more responsibly this could have been avoided. I also lost another friend who crashed into a truck because they cut him off to turn and they were driving under the influence. They didn’t see him. I arrived just after the accident had happened and watched him take his last breath. That is something that changes you for the rest of your life and really makes an impact on drivers who drive under the influence. Things that are so easily controllable can make such a huge impact on someone else’s life. If this person had not driven while under the influence, they would have seen him and not cut him off. I am a firm believer in following the rules and regulations set forth to provide a safe driving environment for everyone involved. Step I could take to become a better driver would be to pay better attention. Sometimes I will be listening to music and get so lost in the music. Another thing I could do is leave a little early when the road conditions are unfavorable. That way I don’t have to drive how I normally drive, and I can work with the conditions of the road to make me safer and everyone around me safer. I’m sure you might be looking at this essay thinking I am trying to look for a pity party. I have dealt with their deaths and the traumas from them and learned from them to become a better driver and better person. I have also used this to advocate for people to drive safer as well. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my essay. As well as thank you for considering me for the scholarship.