National Driving & Traffic School Scholarship

Driving is something most people treat as routine, but for my family, the risks of irresponsible driving have never been theoretical. Thirteen years ago, my father was struck by a distracted driver, and the crash nearly cost him his life. He suffered twenty-seven broken bones, a collapsed lung, a lacerated spleen, and a traumatic brain injury. Our lives changed instantly because someone chose to look away from the road. That experience taught me early that driving is not just transportation, it is a responsibility with life-or-death consequences.

 

Driver education is essential because it teaches young drivers how to recognize risks and make safe decisions. Many new drivers underestimate how quickly things can go wrong. Proper driver education covers defensive driving, hazard anticipation, reaction time, stopping distances, and the real consequences of distracted or impaired driving. These skills are not intuitive; they must be taught and reinforced.

 

My mother believes so strongly in the power of education that she became part of Alive at 25, a court-mandated driver-safety program for young drivers who receive serious traffic violations. For years, she has spoken to teens and young adults about my father’s crash, explaining how one careless moment changed our family forever. I grew up watching her stand in front of strangers and offer our pain as a lesson. Seeing how deeply her story impacts people has shown me that education, especially real-life testimony, can save lives in ways that statistics alone cannot.

 

Reducing fatalities requires a combination of education, enforcement, and cultural change.

• Enforcing distracted-driving laws consistently:
When penalties are meaningful and awareness is widespread, fewer drivers take dangerous risks.

• Expanding defensive driving programs:
Programs like Alive at 25 should be available in every community. They teach young drivers how to read the road and anticipate danger before it becomes unavoidable.

• Strengthening graduated licensing systems:
Limiting teen passengers, restricting nighttime driving, and increasing supervised driving hours help young drivers build experience safely. These policies have already been shown to save lives.

• Sharing survivor stories:
Hearing directly from victims or families makes the dangers feel real. It encourages young drivers to rethink their habits and understand that consequences extend far beyond themselves.

• Increasing access to modern vehicle safety technologies:
Encouraging the use of features like blind-spot detection, automatic braking, and lane assist can prevent crashes caused by momentary lapses.

Each of these steps addresses different causes of fatal crashes, but together they build a culture in which safe driving becomes an expectation, not an exception.

 

My father’s crash was the most traumatic event of my childhood. Seeing him in the hospital immobile, bruised, and hooked up to machines was terrifying. His recovery took months, and even now he carries the physical and cognitive effects of that day. This was not a random tragedy; it was the result of a driver who assumed that looking at a phone for a split second was harmless.

 

My father also shares his own mistakes with me. As a teenager, he received six speeding tickets and lost his license. He tells me now that he was reckless and immature, and that he wishes he had understood the seriousness of driving at that age. His honesty has helped me understand that even good people can make dangerous choices behind the wheel.

I have made mistakes too. Once, I drove over the speed limit, assuming it wasn’t serious. My parents disagreed. They took away my driving privileges for a week, and although I was angry at the time, I now appreciate the lesson. They wanted me to learn safely, not through a tragedy.

 

Another moment impacted me even more. Last Halloween, I drove too fast through my neighborhood, unaware that families and young children were out trick-or-treating. A neighbor ran into the street and forced me to stop. He reprimanded me harshly, telling me I was driving recklessly and could have hit a child. His words embarrassed me, but they also opened my eyes. I realized that even if I feel in control, my actions still put others at risk.

 

These experiences have shaped the driver I want to be. I am committed to:

 

But being a safe driver is not only about my own habits. I want to help others stay safe, too. I plan to speak up when a friend drives irresponsibly, refuse rides from distracted or impaired drivers, and use my father’s story the same way my mother does, as a reminder of how fragile life is. If sharing our experience makes even one person slow down or put down their phone, that will be meaningful.

 

Driving is a privilege, not a right. My father’s crash changed my life and taught me how serious the responsibility of driving truly is. Driver education isn’t just about learning the rules, it’s about protecting lives. I intend to honor that responsibility every time I get behind the wheel and to help others do the same.