Safety in the Driver’s Seat

The first car accident I can remember being in was when I was in elementary school, around the age of 9 or 10. My mom, sister, and I were in the car, driving home after having gone to the library, one of my favorite activities to do as a kid. I was in the backseat with my seatbelt on, excited to read my borrowed books, most of which were books in the Froggy Series by Jonathan London. As I was reading one of my books, I was suddenly pulled out of my fantasy world when my mom’s car rear-ended a car in front of us. I can’t particularly recall what caused the accident, maybe the driver in front of us was distracted, maybe they pushed on the brakes more quickly than my mom anticipated, or maybe it was my mom’s fault entirely. All I know is that I had to stay in that car for hours, waiting for police officers to come and help. Thankfully no one was hurt.

Another car accident I can recall was around one or two years later, around the time that Hurricane Irma was about to hit Florida. Scared for our safety, my dad and mom drove my sister and I upstate to New Jersey, where most of our family was. My mom, sister, and I stayed at my aunt’s house for about a week, whereas my dad had to leave earlier. When I got the call that he had gotten into a car crash while on the highway, I began to worry sick for him. Luckily, no one was hurt. However, whether he was to blame for the crash, or the other driver involved is not the problem. Rather, the issue at hand is ensuring that all drivers on the road are free of the many distractions that can cause more of these accidents, which can even lead to death.

According to the National Safety Council, drivers who use cell phones while driving can cause 1.6 million auto crashes per year, with one of every four car accidents involving texting and driving. But even scarier is how a higher percentage of these drivers are people ages 15-20, meaning distracted driving is more common among younger people than older people. Just a few months ago, I was able to get my learner’s permit, the first step in allowing me to drive on my own. But even before I was able to get a permit, there was a very lengthy and complex process that I had to do in order to obtain it. First off, I had to complete a 4-hour course that discussed a wide range of topics, from alcohol and drug use to how that can affect my mental and physical ability to drive. I believe these driver education courses are greatly important because they teach future drivers the significance of being distraction-free while on the road and how just doing this can save many lives. Another step that had to be taken to receive a permit was to pass a test that asked questions about driving rules and signs. When future drivers study for this test, they learn about what road signs mean, how far away they should be from a car, and how to share the road with those who aren’t in vehicles, such as bikers and pedestrians. By making this a requirement to receive a permit, it is not only forcing future drivers to learn about the rules on the road, but it also informs them about how their actions could prevent many car crashes and crash deaths, thus encouraging them to follow these rules, as well as help others do so too.

One major distraction that needs to be addressed is the use of cell phones while driving. This problem can especially be seen in teenage drivers, who were found to be four times more likely than adults to get into car crashes or near-crashes when talking or texting on a cell phone. Teenagers during this time of their life are too excited and caught up in the moment of getting the freedom to drive by themselves that they don’t take the time to think about safely driving. Many teens may be too confident in their driving skills, while others are just too distracted to leave their phones alone while driving. One solution to this would be to educate teenagers in school about the dangers of texting and driving, as well as advertising how distracted driving can lead to tragic and devastating consequences. It is important to highlight all the features that phones have to keep them from being distracted, with one example being the Do Not Disturb button in iPhones. This allows messengers and callers to know that the teen may be busy at the moment and cannot use their phone.

As I am beginning to drive more, I make sure that my phone is out of my reach at all times, my parents are not distracting me in any way, and I keep my eyes on the road. In cases where I feel as if I am not in the proper mindset to drive, I let my parents take the wheel since they are more experienced in driving. When I am in the car with friends, we all make sure that the driver is not too distracted from driving, such as taking their phone, making sure everyone is wearing seatbelts, and keeping conversation light.

Overall, these are just a few ways future drivers can do to make sure they are driving safely while in the driver’s seat. While this may not entirely get rid of the issue of distracted driving, it is a huge step in the right direction, reducing the number of deaths by car crashes immensely. By teaching the future generation of drivers the correct and safe way to drive, this will allow for roads to be safer in the future.