Sofia Leonetti
Drivers ed Initiative Award Essay

Drivers ed is a critical part of ensuring the safety of new drivers behind the wheel. It is in drivers ed where the rules of the road are examined as well as where useful driving techniques are taught. These techniques, such as the three-second rule and hand over hand turns, help to reduce the likelihood of deadly driving incidents. The dangers of distracted or impaired driving are also taught to students in drivers ed. That information is not taught to scare students but to help them better understand why driving should be taken seriously and how dangerous it can be when done irresponsibly.
The main factors behind fatal driving incidents are often distracted by driving or impairment by alcohol or other illegal substances. To reduce and hopefully eliminate the number of deaths related to driving, I believe laws against distracted and impaired driving should be more heavily enforced. An increased focus on enforcing such laws would help to reduce the number of driving-related deaths by keeping irresponsible drivers off the road and provide an opportunity for re-education. An example of this would be the offender’s driving privilege to be revoked until completion of mandatory driver's re-education.
At a young age, my family and I had a negative experience with an impaired driver and that experience has shaped my view on driver safety. My three-year-old sister almost lost her life because of the irresponsibility of our family nanny. I witnessed both the damage to the car as well as the emotional stress it caused my entire family.
As a new driver, I can remind myself that driving is a privilege and that even minimal steps such as lowering music volume, limiting distractions, and controlling speed are important factors towards being a safe driver.