Alexandra Mitchell Sophomore at Davenport University 2020 Drivers ed Essay Contest s I remember playing Mario kart with my brother, and whenever we lose, we start the game over. Life is not like that, when we make mistakes we cannot just start over and not face Are consequences. When my dad was 16, he lost his brother in a horrible car train collision. While the driver was not being necessarily unsafe the car slid onto some tracks that January and that was the end of it. That is shaped the way my dad has taught his children to drive. Together with my parents we made the hard decision that I was not ready to drive when I was 16, I wasn’t ready to have my learners permit even after taking a drivers ed, So I waited. I waited till I was 18 years old almost 18 ½.  I do not think we could have made a better decision. I have never looked at driving like it was right but a privilege, and just like every privilege it is to be respected and treated us, so it is not taken away. Taking a proper drivers ed was the first step I took in my long journey to being a driver. That is what also help me realize I was not ready, while it had both the actual driving portion and in class assessments and tests, I did not feel safe and comfortable. It is important to take drivers ed so that you feel safe and comfortable while driving because that is the only way you are going to be a safe driver. Taking steps like limiting your distractions knowing your limits and not putting yourself in a situation where you could be unsafe are all things you can do to really do the number of deaths related to driving. What I mean by that is if you’re not comfortable driving in a big city yet don’t risk it, you don’t like driving at night then don’t plan accordingly so that either someone else who is comfortable driving in the dark can or you don’t have to leave your house after it gets dark. I do not ever want to have to go through losing a sibling or even a child one day because of a driving accident. So when I’m in the car I limit my distractions, that means if I’m having a hard time focusing because the radios on I turn it off I don’t text people back and if again I’m having a hard time focusing and not only limit my conversations with passengers in the car but I asked all of them to be quiet. It is not to be a killjoy but to make sure everyone gets there safely. I treat driving like the privilege it is, and I know that no matter what I do I cannot take back my choices once I have made them. I do not get a do over if I make poor choice, so I plan to make the right choice the first time.