Many drivers are not aware of these startling and very scary facts, especially newer drivers. The essay contest “In The Driver’s Seat” seeks to have applicants highlight the importance of being a safe and educated driver. This scholarship seeks to reward six students for his or her submission dealing with the importance of being a safe and educated driver. The application is handled in essay format. To apply, submit an essay of no less than 750 words in Microsoft Word format addressing the following questions:



What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving?


What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?


Have you ever had an experience of being in a car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?


What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?


I am a recently eighteen-year-old girl who has had her license for just over a year, living in Oakland, California. Our city is infamous for our endless car jackings, or "bippings," late-night side shows, car theft and robberies, police highway chases, and any other car criminal activity you can name. I still love my city, but at times when my parents car is broken into, as crime rates increase, my fear as a driver increases. I’ve seen videos of people getting their windows broken in and purses snatched from a car seat while waiting for a light to change; my friends have seen it in person, and as recently as March 27th, I have too. That day, I was in the passenger seat with my mom, driving our big red minivan, and we momentarily stopped as we waited for the light to go green. It was a busy day, as there were lots of people walking around and cars behind and around us in the other lanes. One man, seemingly not in the right state of mind, started yelling at the gray car behind us. We couldn’t tell what was really going on or why the altercation started, so we just stared in horror as we hoped the light would change that much faster. The guy, after a moment, took his skateboard and started pounding in the front windshield and one of the side windshields. He succeeded in bashing in a side window and cracking the front windshield, causing the panicked driver to try to back out, resulting in them hitting the car behind them. After a minute, with the skateboard man still going at the car behind us, the car managed to escape to the left lane. My mom and I were on edge, worried he was going to walk forward and see me in the passenger seat and start harassing us too, so she quickly locked the doors. Luckily for us, he didn’t ever reach our car, because after the one directly behind us escaped, the car that was behind it slowly crept up behind us as if it hadn’t happened. I’m not sure if that's what aggravated the man this time, but he was again angry and shouting at the new gray car behind us. Just then, the light turned green, so we started driving away, only to see the man open the car door and get in, and they drove away. My mom later told me there were two late-thirties and early-forties women in that car. Thus, on what was supposed to be a nice day of spring break, on my way to get a haircut, a dangerous warning etched itself into my mind: always, always, be aware of your surroundings. Though I know this story isn’t of a car accident in the traditional sense per se, it demonstrates the importance of understanding your surroundings, making good situational driving decisions, and the unforeseen risks of driving. To reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving, we need to create clearer laws, prioritize smart and visible driving infrastructure, and repeat driving tests throughout a driver's life. With clearer laws, people can better understand what the proper way to drive is, and the court can be more thorough with its punishments than with our vague set of rules, which many of us abide by but don’t fully understand. We need better-lit streets, clean and clear stop lights, as well as better signage to make a driver well aware of the local risks or laws. To make sure people understand the laws and signs, a mandatory every five years DMV test should be put into place so the government can track the success of their work as well as force the driver to keep up with any policy changes. In addition to this plan, I believe we should all take our driving more seriously. More thought should be placed into what, though it may now be a regular occurrence, is truly a powerful and dangerous activity, to make people more aware and responsible. I, personally, will strive to consistently follow all laws. Due to my more recent license, I am more familiar with the current laws, so I am more capable of following them. I prioritize blinking safely and with plenty of notice, making sure all of my actions are understood by my surrounding cars, and I do not surprise them. I do my best to stay aware in all situations, and not put myself in a position where I can get hurt or I may harm others with my car. For example, I do my best to not speed, and when I do, I make sure I am in the lower speeding speeds as to not disrupt the traffic flow. All in all, I believe a good understanding of your regions laws and keen situational awareness are the most important factors to a safer tomorrow for driving.