The Long Road and the Short Talk

2020
Drivers ed Initiative Award-Annual Scholarship Opportunity

Zimmel,
Jesse

In
the pitch black canvas of night, you can hardly imagine the
brightness of the day but as soon as the sun breaks the plane of the
horizon, everything seems like it will be okay. The highway stretches
out before you seemingly endless in length, and certainly wide enough
to share, but all opportunities cease if you fail to take care. The
driver is responsible for taking proper safety precautions and
demonstrating paying attention to the traffic conditions when
operating a motor vehicle. The responsibility for safe handling and
operation of a vehicle is the responsibility of the driver. If the
driver fails to take proper precautions and demonstrate proficient
practices in the performance of piloting and direction of the
vehicle, then if an accident occurs the responsibility rests on the
driver’s shoulders. There have been far too many deaths as a result
of negligence, neglect, and disregard for proper safety and attention
to traffic and circumstances surrounding the operation of the
vehicle. This inattention and laxity stems from the lack of education
concerning proper procedures required for the use and operation of a
vehicle or disregard for that education if one has acquired it.

Drivers
must seek to pursue and attain proper education as far as the rules
of the road and knowing how to handle traffic situations,
construction, weather, other drivers and road signs. I
have
found that often drivers are unaware of the significance of certain
road signs and traffic signals. Drivers should always be cognizant of
their surroundings and engage in active and dynamic planning. Drivers
should be aware of the traffic, weather, and predicted circumstances
to be encountered and should not only plan for these conditions
before they depart, but also be prepared to deviate from that plan
when they are actually on the road. The situation on a highway or
even small country road is constantly changing and the driver should
be aware of this and prepared to activate any number of contingency
plans should danger arise.

I
have seen drivers operate their vehicles irresponsibly and have even
been in the car when the driver was not operating with due regard to
traffic and safety conditions. Fortunately, I reminded the driver of
his responsibility not only to himself but to me and to the other
drivers on the road. I plan to take several steps to ensure that I
continue to operate motor vehicles in a safe and secure fashion and
to promote proper handling of vehicles by my friends and neighbors. I
will continue to strive to maintain constant vigilance remaining ever
cognizant of the situation, my vehicle and the other driver’s
vehicle. As mentioned previously, I am a proponent of dynamic
operation of the vehicle and try to practice the ideal every time I
get behind the wheel. I promote safe driving by reminding my friends
and family of the importance of education and practice of the
fundamentals and execution of safe operating procedures for their
vehicle.