Driver’s Ed. Scholarship Essay

I turned 16 and took Drivers Ed. during the pandemic, so I think that my experience was different from others as the course was online and there were far fewer people on the road where I lived. In the state of New York, if you are under 18, you must complete a driver’s ed. course to qualify to take the driver’s test. The course educates you on state traffic laws. You will acquire your junior license and then once you turn 18 you will receive full driving privileges. Completion of the course can also lower insurance costs for your family. But these are not the only reasons that new drivers should take the course.

Your parents learned how to drive a long time ago and may not pay as close attention to the details that new drivers must be aware of. A certified driving instructor will do that and ensure the driver is confident in knowing all the laws and rules of the road. The more driving practice that you get, the more prepared you will be when it comes time to take your road test. The more practice driving that you can do will also boost your confidence and allow you to make more informed decisions on the road. The more prepared and informed a driver is, the chances are greatly improved that there will not be a fatal accident, or accident at all. A majority of accidents occur because people do not know the rules of the road, purposely break them (ie. speeding, going through lights etc.), drive impaired or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or drive distracted. Taking a driver’s education course will better prepare you for driving with others on the roads.

Fortunately, I have never been involved in an accident, because I am diligent about following the rules of the road and not driving distracted or impaired, yet I have witnessed, and helped others who have been involved in accidents. Coming home from work one night, my friend and I saw a pick-up truck that had driven up a guardrail in the center median of a divided highway. There were no other cars involved or an impact of any kind so the chances were pretty good that the driver was not hurt, yet we pulled off the road (all the way off the lane on the grassy median) to see if we could offer assistance. It was clear that the driver was impaired. We were able to help him out of the truck without the truck tipping over, and called the police to inform them of the accident. This incident reminded me of why it is so important to not get behind the wheel of any vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Although no one was injured in this scenario, had there not been a guardrail, this truck may just have easily cruised over into the oncoming traffic lane and hit another car.

Years earlier, while I was driving home with my father, we witnessed another accident (at this exact same intersection). This time there was a collision and it was a very strong impact. We were waiting at the light for our green arrow to make a u-turn and watched the car across from us make a left-hand turn across the highway. A car coming from behind us on the highway t-boned the car that was attempting to turn and both cars went flying. My dad jumped into action to help the car that flipped to see if he could provide support. The woman was profusely bleeding, yet was conscious and with his support was able to get her out of the car. She did not speak English and was screaming hysterically but allowed my dad to hold her until EMS arrived. This whole incident lasted approximately 20 minutes and it’s an image seared into my brain that I will never forget. My dad wasn’t sure if the turning car was in the wrong and was trying to cut off the oncoming car, or if the oncoming car was speeding. Either way, they were both in the wrong and should have been driving more defensively (waiting for an arrow, waiting until there were no cars on the road, driving the speed limit etc.)

My dad turned that opportunity into an important life lesson and discussed with me the importance of driving defensively not only at night, but all the time, and always obeying the laws of the road. He told me if you have a green arrow to turn, wait for the green arrow, because you cannot always trust that other drivers are adhering to the laws. That is defensive driving!

Just like learning any new academic content for the first time, you need tons of practice before it can be mastered. Being able to drive informed, more confidently, and have the ability to make informed decisions is what you will get out of taking a driver’s education course. There will be times when you need to make quick decisions. The more practice you have driving, the better prepared you will be to make those decisions. That is why taking a driver’s education course is so important. Whether your state mandates that you take it or not, all new drivers should willingly take it to make our roads safer. The population is only growing and the number of cars is increasing on the road so why wouldn’t you want to be better prepared for any situation?