Name: Paige German
From: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Votes: 0
Eyes on the Road
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“There are always distractions if you allow them.” Such words of wisdom were uttered by the Chicago White Sox manager and former baseball player, Tony La Russa. It comes as no surprise that distraction in the vehicle can cause traumatic damage, given that so far in 2024 alone, the number of fatalities due to distracted driving reached a devastatingly high toll of 3,132 lives. There are a variety of causes for one to lose focus when behind the wheel; most commonly tied to my generation of technology-idolizing beings is texting and driving. The best way I feel to instill the hopes of a future where new drivers are in fear of using their phones while driving is by showing the potential for real danger.
To begin, I can pinpoint the exact moment I knew I would limit my cellular usage on the road as much as possible back in 8th grade when I was taking drivers education courses in order to get a license when I turned 16. It was finally a day when we did not have to take pages of notes in a crammed amount of time, and we were all thrilled when the tv cart was rolled out for us to watch movies. Little did we know that the films we would watch would tap into a part of our hearts and seep into the corners of our fears. The plot of the short film follows a teenage girl speeding by an elementary school. She was on her phone and her friend was in the passenger seat putting on mascara. School was let out and a little girl was crossing the street to get into her dad’s vehicle. Yet the distracted teenager ran the little girl over before she could cross the street and killed her. This movie, along with many others, shook me to my core and showed just how real and terrifying those scenarios can become. Situations that could have been entirely avoided had the full focus of the driver been put on the road.
Granted, the scared-straight films my drivers education courses required me to view were dated towards the early 2000s, roughly a decade and a half previous to my era of newfound freedom in driving, so the projections of time spent in sending a text through a flip phone are a little different to today’s access to touch screens and speech-to-text, a tool I use often both on and off the road. However, fear can be a powerful motivator, especially for new drivers, and showing the potential dangers of distracted driving is vital to establishing a conscious environment built on compassion and survival.
Driver education programs are crucial in reducing driving fatalities by emphasizing the severe consequences of distracted driving. Programs that include realistic and impactful films can change behaviors and attitudes towards driving. Continuous education is essential; it’s not enough to target only teenagers in driver’s education. Society must maintain awareness through commercials, social media ads, and public service announcements that remind drivers of all ages about the potential horrors of driving irresponsibly. Just as the videos I watched in driver’s ed still affect me seven years later, ongoing reminders can keep the message alive and relevant.
Personal experiences further highlight the importance of responsible driving. My best friend Lana was driving home on a major four lane highway from a 12-hour ICU shift. Knowing that her car has auto driving and it would only take a second to grab her fallen sandwich on the passenger side floor, she proceeded to reach across and below the dash to retrieve it. Despite her car’s hands-free auto-correcting features, in just five seconds, she had lost control and driven across two lanes of traffic, through the grassy dipped median, up over onto the oncoming traffic side, across their two lanes, and crashed into the ditch on the other side. Miraculously, she avoided colliding with other vehicles and semis, but her car was totaled, and she suffered ambulance required injuries. This incident underscores how quickly life can change due to a moment of distraction.
Lana’s car was the newest and nicest thing she had ever owned, a symbol of her hard work and determination. Growing up poor, she had never had anything so valuable, and losing it was devastating. The financial strain of replacing her car has been immense, as her family cannot co-sign for a new vehicle, leaving her without a car four months later. This foolish decision in a time of exhaustion and hunger destroyed the only nice possession Lana had ever owned, potentially harmed the lives of countless commuters, and nearly killed her. I still have nightmares about what would’ve happened if she hadn’t sliced right in the perfect window of traffic to avoid any collisions. It’s even more terrifying to think that in 5 seconds, I could’ve lost my lifelong best friend. The trauma of that experience has cemented my commitment to safe driving and heightened my awareness of the dangers we face on the road.
Reflecting on these experiences, I recognize the steps I must take to become a better driver and help others drive safely. Beyond using speech-to-text functions and reducing phone use, I need to plan better to avoid rushing. This includes having everything ready before starting to drive—sunglasses on, food and drinks accessible, and makeup already applied. By eliminating reasons to take my eyes off the road, I can maintain focus and drive safely. Additionally, I can influence others by leading by example and advocating for safe driving practices.
Moreover, combating procrastination is a significant step I can take to ensure I’m not rushed while driving. Falling behind schedule often leads to speeding, which increases the risk of accidents. My father once told me during the early stages of learning to drive that I should, “Never be rushed when driving,” because losing your job for being late is not nearly as important as losing your life for getting into a speeding accident. With that, he also always told me, “It is better to be ten minutes early than five minutes late,” which he did in an attempt to make me wary of procrastination. He had hoped that I would learn to plan to be early so I wouldn’t have to be in a situation that I would think is necessary to speed.
Furthermore, I believe a feasible solution to combat this persistent dilemma would be establishing a sense to work against procrastination. When planning out what events I have going on throughout my day, I should plan for more time in my schedule for wiggle room to get where I need to go. I shouldn’t just assume that it takes the exact amount of travel time to get from point A to point B, but instead plan for the extra time it would take to find a parking spot or in scenarios where I’d be stuck in traffic. Additionally, I think another crucial step I could take in fixing my time-sensitive issue would be taking less time to meddle with social media and do my duties before play to ensure I have my ducks in a row. Time and time again, I have found myself sitting on the couch scrolling through mindless feeds of Facebook updates instead of getting my car started in the winter to defrost the windshield so I can leave promptly on time for school. With college right around the corner and the real adult world ahead, I cannot afford to run late for classes or to an important job interview. I cannot expect to be successful if I am always rushed and unprepared to be where I need to attend.
In summary, driver education is vital in reducing driving fatalities by raising awareness and promoting safe driving habits. Personal responsibility and continuous education are essential in ensuring that drivers of all ages remain vigilant and conscious of their actions on the road. Every time we get in the driver’s seat, we must consider the lives of our loved ones and the impact our decisions can have on others. By adopting safe driving practices and encouraging others to do the same, we can help save lives and make our roads safer for everyone.
Every time we get in the driver’s seat, I urge others to ponder this: what would you do if your mother, your spouse, or your child were on the other end? How would you feel knowing their precious lives were brought to an abrupt end for a foolish action of someone else? You would never want that to happen, so please, don’t become that foolish someone else; it just might save a life.