Driver Education is Key

I think effective driver education is the key to reducing the number of driving-related deaths. Amazingly, cars drive towards each other at 75 miles per hour with only a thin painted line keeping them from a head-on collision. The laws of the road keep everyone in their place. Driver education is quintessential for reducing the number of deaths from driving. There are hundreds of laws put in place to keep drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe. If people do not take the time to familiarize themselves and abide by these laws, then there is no hope of reducing the number of deaths on the road. Knowing these laws and following them daily will help to make a driver more alert and drive defensively. Assume that the car next to you might swerve and come into your lane. Slow down and make sure you are not in their blind spot. Driving in front of a big rig? Remember they take longer to stop so put some space between you and the car in front of you so that you do not have to slam on your brakes causing the big rig to swerve into another lane or possibly rear-end you. The more you know about the laws of the road and the potential for disaster, the better you can adjust your driving to account for others not paying attention.

Many steps can be taken to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One way is by bringing driver education back into the classroom. The only way to get your driver’s license in Quitman, Texas is by visiting the local driving school or participating in an online course with your parents as the driving instructor. I believe that introducing a mandatory driver’s education course into public schools’ curriculum will greatly reduce deaths related to driving from people being more knowledgeable about driver and road safety. The more we understand and know the laws, the easier they are to follow. Having an increased number of school presentations with individuals and/or family members of individuals that have been impacted by a friend or family member being killed in an automobile accident can have an impact on young drivers that don’t always think about the bad consequences of not being a responsible driver. These presentations should include driving under the influence, speeding, and distracted driving. Distracted driving is a major contributor to minor vehicle accidents and unfortunately, major accidents that result in deaths. There has been a significant focus on reducing distracted driving accidents, but I believe more progress can and should be made to help reduce further. Driver self-discipline, continued improvements in locking down technology while a vehicle is moving, and more improvements from vehicle manufacturers to help minimize a driver taking their eyes off the road will all help contribute to reducing the number of deaths we see on our roadways. Another way to reduce the number of deaths is to have road signs that remind drivers to not text and drive and to reduce their speed. Making the signs comical would help drivers to remember the sign. I have seen signs for example that say, “That’s the temperature, not the speed limit.” And “Your steering wheel is not a hands-free device.” Upon reading these signs, hopefully, people will chuckle and then check their speed and put their phones down.

In 2021, one of my friends, Weston Pence, was in a vehicle rollover while driving home. He was driving irresponsibly by driving over the speed limit. His truck swerved off the road and rolled into a telephone pole. Thankfully, he walked away with only a couple of bumps and bruises, but this accident made me realize how easily a life can be lost from irresponsible driving. This is why driver education is so important. First, we must all follow the law when driving and then we must all drive defensively to give us the best chance of not being involved in an accident that could be deadly.

I can improve my driver safety by continuing to be a defensive driver and always obeying the law. However, taking further driver’s education courses can help to ensure my safety on the road. This scholarship essay has also piqued my interest in doing my part in bringing driver education into the classroom. I plan on writing an essay to our school board to propose putting resources into a school-sponsored driver’s education course. Schools’ main objective is to educate and protect the students, and what better way to pursue this goal than teaching kids the importance of driver safety? I will also encourage my school to put a comical sign up as you exit the student parking to remind students to drive safely.