Is driver education worth it?

Is driver education worth it?  Absolutely.  It’s a game changer to keep kids and adults safe and alive.  New and old drivers need to understand the ever-changing technological risks and dangers that exist.  The best way to avoid being distracted is to remove it from your line of sight.  Out of sight, out of mind is a phrase that my parents always say.  Let’s be real, we all know that it’s not realistic to put our cell phone on silent or do not disturb mode.  You can’t expect people to drive without their cell phone.  To put our focus back on safe driving, I will discuss four steps.

Why not make texting and driving a universal law?  Some states already have hands-free cell phone laws, but this needs to be universal for all states.  Have you ever seen swerving cars gone wrong?  When I’m driving, I often notice people driving with their cell phone in their hands or reading text messages or emails.  The driver characteristics have their head down, driving slower than the speed limit, swaying in and out of lanes, hands off the wheel, and swerving through traffic.  Will this stop people from using their cell phones and texting no.  Not everyone is going to listen or care.  Laws are for law abiding citizens that actually care about the safety and security of other people.

Do speech-to-text apps work?  When you use the text-to-speech feature, how many times do you have to repeat yourself for the system to understand?  Bingo, if you can’t get it right in the first or second try then instant gratification users will not use it because it’s not dependable.  When people don’t have trust, they will bypass using it.  The speech-to-text feature needs to be improved so people feel confident using the option.

I love earbuds but they distract drivers.  Anti-earbud / headphone laws should be universal.  That’s right, I said it.  Some states already have laws enforced for wearing earbuds while driving.  Listening to your favorite tunes is distracting.  Wearing earbuds makes it harder to be alert and receive or respond to hazards on the road.  Sometimes you may hear a hazard before you see it and you can respond in time.

My final step is for phone and car manufacturers to create an algorithm that will identify and block people that illegally use their phone or text while driving.  Each state must work with the manufacturers to lockdown phones when the car is moving.  The car would automatically detect a cell phone signal in the vehicle and block it from making any calls or texting.  I understand there would be tons of push back with this recommendation, but it will save lives.  Freedom is not free, and many lives are gone because of people’s reckless behavior.  Cell phones have parental controls today that have these features, but this needs to be standard for all cell phones.  The only way to bypass the blocked setting is if you call 911 and there’s a legitimate emergency.  The key is to not give people the option to turn on the blocked setting.  Many people won’t do the right thing if given the choice.

The personal steps I will take to be a better and safer driver is to lead by example.  When you know better, do better.  I will make a commitment and pledge not to text and drive.  I have personally seen my friends driving irresponsibly by using their cell phones while driving.  It’s scary how being distracted while driving may increase your chances of getting in an accident or dying.  In Virginia it’s illegal and we have earbud and hands-free driving laws.  I’m not going to jail for a text message.  Out of all the distracted driving activities, sending text messages is the most dangerous.  Statistics don’t lie and people are injured and die every day because of digital distractions.  Driving while texting is comparable to driving under the influence.  Are you willing to risk your life and put other innocent lives at risk for a text message?  That’s a hard no for me.  If it’s that important, I will pull over or wait until I get to my destination or home.  Each of us must do our part to reduce the unnecessary accidents and deaths.  Technology is great but that urge or addiction to text can be deadly.  If you want to be part of the solution and save lives, stop texting and driving.  It’s that easy, will you join me?