Drivers Ed 2025 Round 1
Questions to be answered in your essay/application
- What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number 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 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?
2025 Drivers Ed Contest
Apply for the 2025 Drivers Ed Online Contest Round 1
Essay Submissions
by Matthew Scott Hines

My essay shares personal experiences with car accidents and the impact they’ve had on my family. From my own crash on an icy interstate to the tragic loss of my cousin. I’ve seen how one moment on the road can change everything, not only for myself, but for everyone that loves me. These experiences have shaped the way I approach driving, making safety my top priority. I explain the importance of driver education through the ability to prevent these tragedies, and how the small choices we make can mean the difference between life and death.
by Houston Butterfield

Essay about my experience and perspective regarding the importance of driver education and safe driving.
by Mark Ramirez

My essay discusses the importance of safe driving and driver education, drawing from personal experiences and the impact of having a father in law enforcement who investigated fatal car accidents. It discusses key factors contributing to accidents, including distracted driving, speeding, and fatigue, emphasizing the need for stricter enforcement and improved driver education. The essay includes two personal stories: my first car accident and secondly the tragic loss of my childhood babysitter due to drowsy driving. It talks about the lasting consequences of poor driving choices and stresses the importance of responsibility behind the wheel.
by LOGAN MCGILL

Advocating for regular driver education is essential. Like healthcare professionals who must stay up-to-date, drivers should be required to refresh their knowledge of changing road conditions and laws to prevent accidents and enhance road safety. By treating the driving license not as a one-time achievement but rather as a privilege requiring renewal and continual education, we can foster a society of drivers who are more engaged and informed. Such a collective shift in the driving culture will be instrumental in reducing the number of traffic accidents and improving overall road safety.
by Aondona Aondona Tivhure

This is an essay on how our actions and character when driving can lead to good and bad consequences on the road; and possible ways of curtailing the bad consequences.
by Joshua Robinson

Traditional driver education has a limited impact on decreasing the number of fatalities caused by driving. The crucial lesson on how to actually care about the others sharing the road and teach the understanding that the road is not a personal racetrack is missing. We must realize that every honk, every brake slam, and every reckless lane change has consequences.
by Sanaa Scipio

This is an essay that recounts a personal experience of being in a car accident when I was in the Fifth grade, highlighting the importance of driver education and road safety. Through the view of a milkshake mishap and a crash that could have been a lot worse, the essay speaks to the responsibility of drivers, the unpredictability of the road, and the need for awareness behind the wheel. Moments of unexpected danger can serve as wake up calls for safer driving practices.
by Aiden Christopher Stathers

A personal story of the importance of safe driving.
by Benjamin Gniadek

Driving is a privilege, and it’s something that should be treated with respect. It’s not just about having the freedom to go where you want—it’s about being responsible for the lives of everyone on the road. I’ve learned from my own experience that driving requires focus, caution, and respect for others. By staying aware of the dangers and taking steps to drive responsibly, we can reduce the number of accidents on the road and keep ourselves and others safe.
by Joshua Rush

After baseball practice, I was making a right turn into a gas station when a woman illegally tried to pass me on the right, crashing into my car and sending us spinning 360 degrees. Thankfully, my friend and I were unharmed. Despite clear evidence that she was at fault, she took the case to court and lost. This experience taught me that accidents can happen even when I follow the rules, and it reinforced the importance of staying calm, gathering evidence, and standing up for the truth.
by Adison Odzana

Texting and driving is one of the many things taught to you at a very young age. You are told to never do it and to never take your eyes off the road. Nobody understands the effects that it can have if an accident occurs. Well, I learned the consequences the hard way. By experiencing an accident due to texting a driver only 3 months after I had received my license.
by Hailee Zitting-Hamner

In September 2024 I got into a car accident. This was just two weeks after getting my first car and completing drivers ed. I talk about what happened and how drivers ed helped me be prepared for a situation like this.
by Adonis Banipalsin

This essay highlights the importance of driver education, advanced technology, and responsible driving in reducing accidents and promoting road safety.
by Patricia Sanchez

Highlights of the importance of a safer educated driver to reduce the number of fatalities and make the roads a safe place to drive
by Mikaela D'Onofrio-Cantu

Driving is a daily activity for many, but it comes with serious responsibilities. This essay explores the importance of driver education in reducing road fatalities and highlights key steps to make driving safer, such as eliminating distractions, following speed limits, and preventing drunk driving. Through personal experiences and observations, it emphasizes the need for personal responsibility and speaking up when witnessing reckless driving. By prioritizing safety, education, and accountability, we can all contribute to making roads safer for everyone.
by David Hopkin

Most crashes are caused by 3 things. Carelessness, distraction, and anger. Through patience and safety precautions on our vehicles we can eliminate all 3 of these things and make the road safer and bring the number of death down significantly
by Steven Kyle B. Santos

The essay describes the importance of Drivers Ed in preventing accidents and saving lives.
by Ava Garland
This essay emphasizes the importance of driver education in preventing car accidents and saving lives. It shares my personal experiences of witnessing distracted driving and highlights practical steps individuals can take to become safer drivers, such as speaking up, eliminating distractions, and following traffic laws. By shifting the mindset around driving responsibility, enforcing stricter laws, and promoting accountability, we can significantly reduce driving-related fatalities and create safer roads for everyone.
by Stacy Gosnell

How distracted driving changed my life.
by Ryan Mendenhall

My essay gives an overview of the importance of driver's education in preventing accidents by teaching new drivers important skills such as defensive driving and obeying traffic laws. It also covers the dangers of reckless driving and the need for greater access to driver's education programs across schools. Through my personal experiences, I have explained how education, law enforcement, and responsible driving habits can make our roads safer for everybody.
by Jhordyn Napier

This essay reflects a personal car accident experience that affected me after I received my learner's license. It emphasizes the importance of driver education and road safety. It also explores the impact of the accident and the positive influences of a driver's education class along with driving lessons from my father who has been a truck driver for many years. It aims to promote safer driving habits and advocates for improved road safety for everyone.
by Brandon Daugherty

This essay shares my personal reflections on the profound responsibilities of being a driver. It begins with the tragedy that shaped my outlook—the loss of my older brother in a car accident—and explores how this event made me acutely aware of the life-and-death consequences of driving. I also reflect on calming childhood memories of driving on country roads with my grandfather, whose patient guidance gave me a sense of calm that helped me when I first learned to drive. Additionally, I discuss finding a kindred spirit in Claudio Sanchez, whose song "Gravity's Union" resonated deeply with my own experiences of anxiety behind the wheel. Through these experiences, I highlight my commitment to vigilance, empathy, and safety as a way to honor my loved ones and protect others on the road.
by Leyla Lopez

My essay is about my journey beginning to drive and how I realized there needs to be more read safety. After a recent tragic car accident with my boyfriend, I encourage the youth and my fellow classmates to not act "cool¨ whilst operating a motor vehicle because they can be dangerous. I hope to spread awareness to people of how important it is to give your full attention when driving on the road.
by Tamia Cade

Staring with statistics, I will share how drivers education is supposed to help maintain safe driving while sharing my experience and some of my own opinions.
by Mae Beth Ruehling

This essay reflects the personal journey after taking driver’s education in high school, later becoming a victim of a life-altering car crash caused by a drunk driver. which completely changed my life and future plans. The essay highlights the emotional and physical challenges of adapting to a new reality.
by Emily Zeek

I feel that the best knowlage I have for safe driving was learned from my father, a Police Officer. I feel that if we were clearer and more in tune with the real issues on the road, we could try to cut down on the vehicle deaths.
by Leah Kaufman

Being a first time driver is scary, but all drivers should have more in depth training to prepare them for real life situations. If drivers get better education then they will be safer drivers. The safer the driver the more likely they are to be prepared for intense situations, therefore protecting more lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
by Elise Uhde

This essay answers the prompts with vivid personal experiences, and provides insight into reckless driving.