Saving Lives, Behind the Wheel

Drivers ed Initiative: In the Driver’s Seat 2020 Scholarship Essay

Submitted by: Alyssa Nguyen

As a young woman living in San Francisco, California, we are known for our city life, and busy traffic on weekdays and weekends. Being 17 years old, and having my license for a year now has taught me the importance of driving safely, and how common car accidents are all over the world. Whenever I am driving I am always careful by following the street rules, and always checking my surroundings whenever I am on the road. In 2017, my family and I got into a big car accident that totaled the car. The other driver ran a red light as we were making a left turn and T-boned our car. Luckily my family and I had no major injuries, and we all made it out with no fatalities or major injuries. This event has taught me how important driving education is, and how close I was to potentially losing a family member, or being injured myself. Drivers ed helps reduce the amount of deaths because it informs drivers of the rules on the road, and how to prevent accidents from occurring.

Although all drivers in California have to take an online driving course, take a written test to receive their driving permit, undergo multiple hours of behind the wheel training, and finally take a behind-the-wheel test to receive their drivers license, I feel that it is important to read articles on how much car accidents impact our world, and the number of deaths it has caused. That will make people even more cautious when driving.

Another important step is to work on road rage, I feel this is one of the main causes of car accidents because people need to learn that we are all trying to get to our destination safely, and being in front of one car isn’t going to make you arrive anywhere drastically faster. Lastly, another important step is to never be intoxicated and use your cellphone when driving, which are the main causes of car accidents, and it is a simple fix. If you notice someone is about to drive intoxicated, drive them home if you are sober, or call them an Uber to reduce the chances of them potentially hurting themselves. If you notice a car is driving recklessly, call the authorities right away to prevent the chances of that driver hurting themselves, or those around them. Finally, never text and drive, your text message can wait, and it can potentially save your life or someone else’s life if you just wait. All drivers of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even bikers would all respect each other and learn each other’s rights on the road to prevent future accidents from occurring.