A Visual Impact I’ll Never Forget

A
Visual Impact I’ll Never Forget

by
Derek Delson

The
moment of impact was ever-lasting yet rapid. It existed in
slow-motion and time-lapse. The car began to shift as all control was
lost to the dictation of physics. The once perfect, shiny, and whole
windows were now a million pieces glimmering in the air. The hidden
air-bag intensely stung as it inflated outwards like an umbrella.
Suddenly, the car stopped twirling and all the broken glass and
damaged car parts tumbled to the ground.

Luckily,
this was simply a visual that I experienced at 10:00 am on a summer
morning at my drivers ed class. My class of sleep-deprived
and phone-addicted peers were suddenly jolted awake. The fourth wall
of the driving safety commercial served as a barrier that separated
me from the horrific event. I could have easily experienced something
similar on the ride home from my class. Whenever we are in a car,
there is a chance for the worst to happen.

I
believe that the most important tactic to educate America’s drivers
is through intense visual education. Personally, I chose to go
through drivers ed over the summer. Daily, the course fully
immersed me in the world of driving safety. While I learned a
considerable amount about safe driving through various packets,
lessons, and exams, nothing taught me more about the effects of
driving than the plethora of videos we viewed. Even when speaking to
the fellow students after class, it seemed that the topic of
conversation would constantly revolve around the shocking videos we
saw that day. The entire mood of the room changed when one of these
videos played. Everyone held their breath. The words and figures on
paper became real in our minds.

Even
my mother told me that she remembers the video shown in driver’s
education decades ago frame by frame. In a campaign to wear
seatbelts, the video had ten different people stating why they didn’t
like wearing seatbelts. Then, it cut to them in a hospital, bleeding,
paralyzed, or in a wheelchair. She can still picture the faces of two
characters: one was a good-looking, macho man who said, “Oh,
wearing a seatbelt is for wimps. It’s not manly.” The other was a
beautiful, fashionable woman who complained that, “The seatbelt
wrinkles my dress.” My mother never once got in a car without a
seatbelt again.

Videos
remain the most effective way to drill the dangers of distracted
driving into the heads of drivers nationwide. The most powerful
videos are not just a fantastical film nor a basic infomercial; they
are a combination of both. Drivers ed needs to continue
showing videos that get people talking, videos that shock, and videos
that convey important statistical information. Young drivers feel
invincible. However, seeing something dramatic and realistic will
drive the point home (pun intended). For those who choose to not take
drivers ed, social media is an important way to educate the
youth, as well as older drivers who might be rusty. In our current
digital age, the visual education opportunities are endless.

In
order to have safer roads, simple solutions can be taught through
videos. One step that can be taken is allowing proper extra time to
never feel rushed while driving or tempted to go through that yellow
light. Another is to limit the number of passengers—specifically
young people—so there isn’t the opportunity for distraction.
Perhaps the most important and least discussed step is to acknowledge
that one has a phone addiction. By turning on do not disturb, placing
the phone far away from the driver, or using a GPS app that limits
notifications, lives can be saved. By learning to not respond to the
“bing,” lives can be saved. By abiding by these rules personally,
lives are saved.

All
of these steps can be taught through visuals, the most effective
education tool. I am a filmmaker and I know the impact visual
storytelling can have. Visuals are the most powerful tool to enforce
the fear of the results of distracted driving. They can often have a
lasting, lifelong impact. Don’t let that video become your reality.