Drivers Education Scholarship Essay

“In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projects there were an estimated 42,915 traffic fatalities in 2021, a 10.5 percent increase compared to 2020 and the highest annual percentage increase in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history” (Shelby Simon). As technology gets better and we progress as a nation, one would think that vehicular transportation would become safer. As can be seen by the quote, this is simply not true and it is not getting better. As a nation we must commit ourselves to becoming safer when it comes to driving so that so many families do not have to mourn their loved ones.

When it comes to reducing the amount of deaths involving vehicles, the most important way is through driver education. The best way we can help make people better drivers is by educating them on the rules of the road. Other than distracted driving, the misunderstanding of the rules of the road causes many accidents. Going through the system can root out the people who are not ready to drive, which will help keep people who understand how to drive on the road. According to the article by Jackie Kass, “Driver education is associated with a lower incidence of both crashes and convictions – reducing crashes by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%.” The quote displays the data that shows the importance of people participating in drivers education. The information that one would learn in driver education is extremely beneficial to lowering the amount of crashes. You can truly learn the way of the road and ways to deal with situations on the roads that could result in death. The more educated people can become, less deaths will occur from driving. As can be seen, driver education is very important to keeping people safe on the roads.

Though it may seem like there is no solution to preventing deaths on the road, there are many that can be done to help the national crisis. The best way to prevent deaths is to stop distracted driving. This does not just apply to phones, though they are a big culprit of causing deaths on the roads. But this applies to anything that distracts you from keeping your eyes on the road. If people can take the initiative to stop distracted driving, a lot of lives will be saved. Another step that can be taken is a fairly easy one that many people choose not to follow. That easy step is to buckle your seatbelt, a task that we have been taught since we were children but choose not to follow as teenagers and adults. A simple buckle of the seat belt would go a long way in saving so many lives. Another important step is to always go the speed limit or a speed that is safe to drive at. Many driving deaths are caused by people going too fast and way over the speed limit. This limits the time to react to a situation and increases the chance of having more severe injuries. Lastly, a step that everyone should participate in is to not drive under the influence. When under the influence, a person lacks the ability to think straight or react to things at the same speed that they normally would. Staying sober while driving is an important step to limiting deaths while driving. All of these steps, if followed, can help prevent deaths while driving and keep people safe.

In my life there have truly been two instances that have changed the way that I drive in my life. The first instance was what occurred on April 4, 2012 at 2 o’clock in the morning. My Uncle Ross was killed in a car accident when he was coming back from work. He collided with a telephone pole and was killed. The cause of this was distracted driving from him being on his phone texting. I was in second grade and did not really understand the gravity of what happened, but now I can grasp just how horrible the situation was for my family. It also gave me the motivation in my life to stay away from my phone when I am behind the wheel. I realize now that it was the distracted driving that took his life, and I do not want to suffer the same fate. I never want to put my family through the same trauma that they had to go through that year. The second experience in my life involved me getting into a crash. When I was leaving a basketball game that I attended at my school, I was going too fast on a road and did not give myself enough time to stop and rear ended the car in front of me. Luckily, nobody was harmed but the police did come and I was given a ticket. I went to court and did my punishment that I was given. I chose to use the experience as a learning experience and a chance to be thankful that it was not worse than it was. These two experiences in my life have given me reason to be safe on the roads.

Though I have had experiences that have made me take steps to be a safe driver, there are still steps that I can take and to help others do the same. I feel that a step that I can take is to try to always be aware of my surroundings. Sometimes I can become locked in on the road or the car in front of me and stop paying attention to my peripherals. I have found that this is definitely something I must improve on. I believe that I also must try to not trust other drivers as much. Some people do not pay attention to the rules and this can put my and others at risk. Sometimes I rely on other cars to stop and listen to traffic laws and when they do something illegal, I am surprised. As a driver I must always think that the other driver will not follow the rules and I believe this will make my driving experience safer. I feel like I can help make others safer on the road by always making them wear their seat belts and to pay attention while driving. I will also try to stress the importance of learning traffic rules and become educated on driving. Despite the attempts to be a better driver, there are still steps I and others need to take that will allow us to improve.

Driving is a privilege that most have but it should be taken with the most caution. Driver education is a great way to prevent death while on the road and should be taken by all. There are many steps that many people can take to become a safe driver and to keep people alive. It truly comes down to people’s want to follow those steps to be safe. In my personal life, I have had experiences that have shaped my life on the road that have led me on the path to being a safe driver. I am still taking steps to make sure that I do not die on the road. In summary, the road can be a dangerous place but with the right knowledge and habits, it can be a wonderful place.