Living in a city where a lot of people are driving dangerously fast is scary and I am disadvantaged because of that. Especially as I walk to and from school, and then to work each day. I feel as if I'm dodging dangerous vehicles flying past me on a weekly basis. So, I can't stress how incredibly important drivers ed could be for my entire community to reduce vehicle related deaths. Because I take public transportation and I walk everywhere I go, I am witnessing driving accidents left and right. Whether that individual is cutting the bus off in traffic or speeding directly in front of me on the crosswalk when i have the right of way. What is vital to my experience as a pedestrian is the need for drivers ed in my city. I'm positive it will improve the skill of each driver who takes part in it and will keep pedestrians safe and out of harm's way. When my eldest sibling first got her license, it was a long hard journey. She didn’t have money for Drivers Ed, so she relied on a relative to help her learn how to drive. After almost a year of practicing she went to get her license once she turned eighteen. She was devastated because she failed the exam. When she obtained her license the second time around, she was overjoyed and excited to begin her journey as a new driver. My sister only had her license for about two weeks, and she had gotten into a serious car accident. All this being said, I think that ordeal would have been avoided if my sister could have afforded Drivers Education at the time. I believe the same thing for my current situation. My mom tries to teach me on her days off but that is very rare. So, I was hoping to save enough money to pay for driver's education but that seems so far in the future with my money being put towards rent and food at home. All in all, this is my testimony to the importance of driver's education in my community. It would definitely help younger drivers stay out of accidents and equip them with the knowledge of how to be safe and cautious on the road.
I think an initiative from the hospital in Omaha should be publicized across the city to make the severity of vehicle related accidents more widely discussed and remedied. I'm sure that UNMC has witnessed a multitude of vehicle related deaths and promoting safe driving, wearing a seatbelt, and practicing rode caution to Omahen drivers on build boards or bench signs could be the first step in reducing the amount of driving deaths in our city. When I was younger my mom drove my three siblings and I around in a rental car for an evening out one summer. I was only seven or eight years old at the time. We had been stopped at a red light and a vehicle came soaring down the street behind us and crashed directly into our car from behind. My mom was escorted to the hospital with a broken leg and a neck injury. Luckily, my siblings and I were safe because we were in car seats with seatbelts that cushioned the blow for us.
All in all, that experience could have been prevented if the driver was being more cautious on the road. It was traumatizing for myself and my siblings for years after it happened. I don't have the ability to learn how to drive because I don't have someone who can teach more or help me fund driving school, but I can list a few things I will do to practice being a safe driver if your organization helps me fund drivers' school. I will always wear a seatbelt and encourage others to do the same as well, as they can save lives. Second, I will always check my signals and the actions of other vehicles around me to be aware of any potential danger or sudden stops. Then I will make sure I'm insured as well in case of a serious accident or damage to my vehicle. Lastly, I will always make sure I pay attention to the road and don't distract someone if they are driving, and I am in the passenger seat. Thank you for the opportunity to help me fund my driving experience and providing me with the proper facilities to find an organization that can help improve my driving through drivers ed. If I was granted the money from this scholarship, I could pay for drivers Ed and finally feel safer on the streets knowing I was properly educated on how to navigate the streets safely.