Safe Travels

Safe Travels

By Dylan Sparks

Safe driving has always been a topic of conversation in my household. My father is a paramedic, and my mother is an ICU nurse. Both have seen firsthand the life changing results of driving recklessly. I am shocked that their stories did not deter me from getting behind the wheel. Conversely their stories made me realize that driving is a not a convenience but a privilege, and one that should not be taken lightly. I was happy to learn about this scholarship opportunity as I am now able to share my learning experiences that have shaped me into a safe driver.

Drivers education has been a particular important topic for me. I live in a rural community and have a 15-minute commute one way to work and school daily. My drive consists of 2 lane black top county highways. I often must share the road with farm equipment and large trucks. During my freshman year of high school, I was enrolled in our drivers education course. This really furthered my knowledge and made me more prepared when the time came to get behind the wheel myself. At the beginning of the semester, I did not think the class was important because my parents would be teaching me how to drive. I thought observing their driving habits and listening to them explain the rules was good enough. I quickly learned in class, that my parents needed a refresher course on the rules of the road. There were several aspects of the class that I feel have had an impact on decreasing the number of deaths related to driving. The first was watching videos that showed different accidents and how they occurred and identifying what could have been done to prevent such accidents. Another aspect of the course was when the Highway Patrol came into class and let all the students try to ride a tricycle with the “drunk goggles” on. That really showed the true affects of buzzed driving and why it should not be done. Finally, the class item that I also find the most helpful were the computer assisted driving games. We could react and think quickly based on the scenario. If we made a wrong decision, we learned from it. That was beneficial as we could practice from the safety of our desks and not behind a wheel potentially causing harm.

Keeping everyone on the roads safe is a goal that I take seriously. I would never want to cause harm to myself or others. There are several steps that can be taken to keep myself and others safe. I have personally seen the devastation of unsafe driving firsthand. During my junior year of high school, 5 students were involved in an accident. Two died, and one was seriously injured. One of the students that died, I have known since elementary school and we played football together for years. I saw the pain and sorrow that this accident caused not only to the family, but the entire community. The accident occurred because of going too fast around a corner on a raining night. They incorrectly negotiated the curve and went off the road hitting a tree head-on. All but one passenger was ejected, because seatbelts were not utilized. I would like to utilize this personal experience to demonstrate some steps that could have been utilized to decrease the number of deaths seen in motor vehicle accidents. The first step is to always wear a seatbelt. Seatbelts keep you secure in your seat to avoid ejection. Seatbelts also keep you properly positioned in your seat so that the airbags will cushion your body from the impact, thus reducing harm. The second step that should be taken to reduce deaths is to drive according to the weather. In my personal experience mentioned above, my friends should have been driving at a slower rate of speed due to the rain. Another step that can be taken is to anticipate the actions of others. When I was learning to drive, I was told countless times that if I get into an accident it will most likely be someone else’s fault. This means I must stay alert and watch other drivers because they could be texting, intoxicated, just not paying attention etc. I was taught the concepts of defensive driving. The last step that I would like to mention is to drive when you are in good mental and physical condition. You need to recognize if you are too tired, have a clear mind to focus on driving and no other thoughts that takes your attentions away from the road, and recognizing if you are too impaired to drive. If any of these are true you need to consider staying where you are or consider utilizing on of the many ride share options available. Lastly, make a conscious effort to develop your driving skills. Even after you have obtained your license you should actively learn and adapt to become the safest driver you can be. You can never know too much about something as dangerous as driving. These steps, if followed will reduce the number of deaths related to automobile accidents.

I have been a leader in many of my academic and sporting career. I do take those leadership opportunities seriously. I am a good example of sportsmanship, worth ethic, diversity, and character. I also like to think I lead by example in my safe driving. It is no secret that teens and young adults follow the pack. If I am being followed, I want to ensure I am exhibiting safe driving behaviors that I have learned in drivers education. Another step that I can take to ensure that the roads become safer is to not text and drive. The text message can wait until I am stopped and at a place to answer. If I am with my friends and they are driving and try to respond to a text, I will ask them to stop or let me respond for them. I will also never let anyone of my friends or family members drive if they are impaired. Finally, I will keep my car in good working order so that I will arrive to my destination and in the event of an accident, my safety features work correctly.

As a teenager, driving is my most dangerous activity. I am a novice but with the educational resources afforded to me, I have every opportunity to be a safe driver. This scholarship would allow me to focus my time and energy on my studies as I pursue to be a mechanical engineer. Without the generosity of organizations like yours, career goals would be unattainable due to the growing cost of secondary education. Thank you again for the opportunity and drive safe.