7 Moves Ahead

Justin
Zeng

7
Moves Ahead

What
sets amateur chess players apart from the chess masters? Well, aside
from the hours of practice, they can predict our moves before we even
think about it and not only the next move but also calculate at least
7 moves ahead of the amateur player. Similarly, governments globally
have taken early measures to fight the coronavirus. In China, the
calamity seems to be dying down already. Active measures such as
locking down Wuhan mitigated further spread of the virus elsewhere.
If not for these actions, thousands of lives would be lost. According
to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), nearly
1.25 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287
deaths a day. If everyone applied a similar proactive mindset to
driving, countless deaths in road crashes could be prevented.

Volunteering
as a Science Educator for the Pacific Science Center, I understand
the difference education makes. Many students do not take driver
education seriously, often falling asleep or zoning out in class. As
reported by goliath.com, drivers who have taken drivers ed tend
to understand the rules of the road more, have greater awareness of
drugs, have more confidence, and defensive driving techniques. Driver
education better equips you to not just protect yourself but also
others. This is why I believe drivers ed should be required for
every driver.

A
popular myth is that accidents just happen. But research shows that
actually 99% of crashes are preventable. Often drivers are too
confident in their own ability to handle emergency situations and do
not do the pre work. To reduce accidents, all drivers should plan
their trips, evaluate their current situation and avoid possible
scenarios from getting to accidents. Accidents are not a sudden event
but a chain of events. By not being preemptive from the start, you
are putting yourself and others at risk. Other effective ways to
reduce accidents such as using indicator lights, driving at speed
limit, wearing seatbelt were repeatedly emphasized in other essays.

During
a family vacation, a detached boat trailer sped across the street,
scrapping our minivan. Thankfully, no one was injured. Panic flashed
through my mind as I watched it happen. When I asked my dad, who was
driving that day, about how he acted during that crash, he simply
said that he saw it coming, before the boat trailer even detached
from the truck. By actively thinking of possible ways to avoid
accidents, my dad saved not only our lives but also those in vehicles
around us.

I
pledge to plan my trips ahead and avoid potential dangerous
situations. And even though preventable does not always mean
prevented, if everyone thinks 7 moves ahead,
driving
would be a lot safer. Sometimes looking 7 moves ahead might not only
save your king from a checkmate but also save yourself from a fatal
car crash. Hopefully my essay was helpful, and thank you for
considering me for your scholarship.