In the Driver's Seat

Abigail Ladau

In the Driver’s Seat- Scholarship Essay

Driving irresponsibly is a leading cause of death facing Americans today. According to DmvEdu.org, many people are unaware of the consequences that come with driving recklessly. A few years ago, a devastating accident occurred in my community. A group of high school boys were driving home from a party and ended up in a terrible crash. The driver was found to be drunk and the other two teenage passengers were dead. The two 17-year-old boys that died were prominent figures in both my community and school. My family also personally knew one family that lost their son. Both boys were leaders in their sports and clubs and close friends with many in the community. The town was devasted by the horrific incident.

Drivers ed is incredibly important in order to reduce tragic deaths such as these. Creating awareness of the potential consequences of drunk and distracted driving should be the cornerstone of any student driving program. My drivers ed taught me the importance of responsible driving and how to be ready for an emergency situation. During the multiple in-class and personal driving sessions in which I participated, my instructors taught me not only the mechanics of driving, but the seriousness of paying attention and not driving distracted.

I experienced first-hand how distracted driving causes accidents. About a year after I received my license, I was driving home from school when another driver crashed head-on into my car. The driver was distracted by his phone and was not paying attention to where he was driving. As I was driving up the hill, his car drifted into my lane and totaled my car. I was lucky to have no physical injuries besides a bloody nose; however, I was incredibly frightened and confused about what had happened for several days. Because of this incident, I do not use my phone while driving. Phone distraction is a major problem with many drivers, both new and old. In order to help others become safer on the roads, phones need to be recognized as a distraction and stored away while behind the wheel.

Drivers ed is crucial in teaching safe driving skills to the public.