Preventing Driving Related Deaths: Advice and Experience from an 18-year-old student

Gracelynn Green

Drivers Education Scholarship Essay

5/14/21

Preventing Driving Related Deaths: Advice and Experience from an 18-year-old student

One of the biggest responsibilities a person comes across in life is driving. Being granted the permission to drive a 6,000 pound car, with the ability to go more than 200 mph, in some cars, comes with a lot of power. It is important that people, especially teens, when learning how to drive, learn how to be the safest driver they can be, learn all the rules of the road, and know what to do and what not to do when driving. Cars can be very big, weigh thousands of pounds, and go fast enough to unfortunately kill people, therfore, drivers education must be taken serious and is neccesary to reduce the number of driving-related deaths.

Enrolling in a drivers education course when beginning to drive is a great step towards becoming a safe driver. Drivers education will teach you the fundamentals of the road, teaching you about important traffic laws, sharing the road with motorcycles, bikes, trucks, other vehicles and pedestrians, how to safely operate a vehicle, and so much more. Knowing the rules of the road will help reduce the amount of collisions, as it will teach a new driver when it is safe to drive, turn, and stop. Learning to share the road is also something that is very important and will be used in day-to-day driving. People must learn that other people and vehicles are on the road and it is important to check ones surroundings in order to keep a safe driving habitat. If a person is unable to attend drivers, education classes, due to cost or other reasons, watching videos on the internet about defense driving, driving in the winter, and other safety driving tips may also be a way to help teach people about alternative driving methods that will help to prevent accidents and therfore deaths. Drinking is also a very important topic that is always and for certain talked about in a driver’s education, safe driving classes, or videos. Knowing and understanding the rules about substances when driving, is also very important and can hopefully help to reduce the number of driving accidents that have to do with drugs and alcohol. There are so many resouces paid and free, that will give people access to neccesary information, tips, and knowledge when driving, to help make everyone a safer driver to help against deaths.

As an 18-year-old who has obtained my liscense by taking a driver’s education course and has many friends who drive, I have unfortunately been in situations where the driver has been driving irresponsibly. Surprisingly many of the irresponsible drivers that I have come across generally have been adults way older than myself. Many of them belive that they trust themselves enough to be able to text, speed, and multitask while driving. I always try and voice my opinion, but being an 18-year-old and senior in high school, many people don’t always believe my opinion is valid. This is unfortunate because I know they are not only risking my life, but their lives and others. Being a woman with anxiety it helps me to know that I always try my best to be a safe driver becuase it helps me to relive any of my built up anxiety when driving and having the though of getting into an accident every minuet my foot is on the petal go away. Unfortualtny there are still possibiltys of myself and others getting into an accident even when driving safe because you never know what another driver may do. With all of the experiences I have, and have come across, I can see the benefits of drivers education and will always recommend it to anyone I know starting to drive. I hope one day the world will become better drivers and we can all help to reduce the amount of driving related deaths.

I belive I can help others and myself stay and become better driver by simly being an advocate, and sharing resources. Knowledge is powerful and I always try and share my knowledge about driving whether it’s simply telling my sister to always check her blind spots or to switch lanes earlier before your exit. These things are very small and minor, but may help to save someones lives one day. As for myself I try and stay aware for my surroundings not only while I’m driving but also when in the car with others. I believed that I can learn from my driving mistakes as well as others and it’s okay to make mistakes, but more importantly to learn from them because that is how you will grow and change.

Driving has the ability to be a wonderful experience, and can help people get to places and do wonderful things, but it unfortunately can be something that is very dangerous. I dont think people should be scared to drive, but rather be willing to learn and teach others to again help make the world a safer place while in the car.