Jenna Brown

Drivers ed
Initiative Award


Safe
Driving is for Everyone
When
I was fifteen years old, I was in a situation where I could have been
killed in an instant. I was having a blast. I was in the passenger
seat of my aunt’s car. The speed limit signs we passed warned us
not to go over 35 mph. We were traveling at 80 mph. The road was
curvy and bumpy, and the ride was an exhilarating adrenaline rush.
Suddenly, something crashed against the window and a loud BOOM!
echoed throughout the car. As cheesy as it sounds, I saw my life
flash before my eyes. The object we had hit was only a bird, but what
if it had been a person, or a deer, or another car? I would not truly
know how at risk my life was in that moment until a year later, in my
drivers ed class where I quickly learned about the consequences
of unsafe driving. I sat in horror through that course as the
projector displayed fatal collisions and gruesome deaths due to
unsafe driving.
Effective
education is vital in reducing the number of deaths related to
driving. My own experience in drivers ed has heavily influenced
the decisions I make while driving, and I believe that driver
education is the key that can make the difference for everyone.
Education is the first step to changing anything. If people do not
know about the severity of the problem of unsafe driving or about how
detrimental the effects can be, they will not recognize that a change
needs to be made in the first place.

There
are multiple steps that need to be taken to reduce the number of
deaths related to driving. It begins with education. If communities
get involved, more people could be reached. Hosting free events that
advertise something enticing like free pizza could get countless
people in the community to attend. The event could host speakers who
have been affected by unsafe driving, and it could offer educational
materials to those who attend. Other steps can be taken as well. I
believe it is highly effective for parents to use monitoring systems.
There are numerous apps and gadgets available for parents to be able
to put a speed limit on their teen’s car and to get constant
feedback about the choices their teens are making behind the wheel.
While many people think that this is insane and overly protective, I
believe that it helps teens to be more conscious of the way they are
driving. It also reinforces good habits for teens to carry into
adulthood. I can personally take steps to drive safer as well.
Putting my phone on ‘do not disturb’ while driving, following
speed limit signs, and knowing my own limits when driving are all
critical steps I can take. I can also share what I have learned and
share my methods of being a safer driver with my friends and family
to influence them to take the steps as well.