Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd of three scholarship contests for the year. We are grateful to everyone that took the time to write, research, and share intimate stories relating to the importance of driver education. Some of the essays dealt with being involved in a motor vehicle accident and dealing with the tragic aftermath. Some of stories, sadly, even dealing with loss of life due to a motor vehicle crash. Sharing your story could potentially save a life by introducing how grave the consequences of driver distraction can be, and we applaud you for taking the issue seriously enough to educate others about it.
A topic which came up often this round was the importance of developing good driving habits. Developing good habits is not only important for being a safe and successful driver but also for being successful in all endeavors we partake in. The habits we adopt in our daily lives will help to mold the future of our lives, and this is especially true when it comes to driving. If we have a tendency to speed, drive distracted, drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not obey road signs, and the like, then we greatly increase our chances of being seriously injured or seriously injuring someone else.
Some good tips given as to habits to adopt to avoid ever being involved in a serious accident are,
- Put on your seat belt as soon as you enter your vehicle.
- Put your phone away when driving — set up notifications to let other’s know you are driving. Some phones have this enabled, or made available through their app store.
- Create a music list to play prior to getting in the car, so as to not fidget with your phone while driving.
- Plan your trip and get all your driving directions ready before starting your car.
- Adjust all mirrors before driving
- Make sure you are in the proper mental and physical condition to operate a vehicle. If not, do not drive. Have someone drive you.
- Be courteous, yield the right of way when necessary
- Choose the best times to travel in order to avoid traffic congestion and inclement weather
- Follow traffic signs and be more observant of your environment.
This, among many other suggestions were very insightful and we hope will be adopted by our readers. We will do our very best to promote them.
And now to announce the winners for this round. Selecting the winner for staff favorite was difficult to say the least. In the end, each staff member selected their favorite, and one essay was randomly selected from the staff favorites. It was the only way to select our favorite, as there were so many great submissions. For staff favorite, Natasha Banda, “In the Driver’s Seat”. Natasha’s essay dealt with promoting the importance of driver education and behind the wheel training so as to mitigate the number of fatalities on the road. Also, highlighted by Natasha was need for a holistic approach where various bodies of government are equally involved in the process of lessening the number of driving related casualties. Great work Natasha!
For most shared essay, Madison Smith, “One Glance”. In the essay, Madison shares a personal story of being involved in motor vehicular accident, and how it highlighted the importance of having the proper driver training, both theory and actual practical behind the wheel training, in order to be a more safe and knowledgeable driver. Thank you for sharing your story Madison, great job!
Great job to the both of you and congratulations!
We say this every year, but it bears repeating. Ideally there would be no need for scholarship contests, and each and every citizen would be assured a free college education.
As you know, a high school degree does not go too far these days, and to limit one’s access to a good education and their God given potential because of a lack of resources is truly unjust when we have the means to provide otherwise. So, this is also up to you —as we go into an election year, to declare that you wish for a college education be granted as a right for all and not just an option for some. You all will soon be or are now of voting age and your views can be put into law to bring about a better future for your generation and generations to come. I do hope you will get involved in bringing about this change. Bless you all. Thanks again to all participants.
