It Can Wait

It
Can Wait

In
the modern area we live in, it has become a norm to be on your phone
constantly. Texting and driving is one of the most common, yet most
avoidable problems that can be changed. People have become so in
tuned to social media and other phone related applications that it is
driving them away from reality. According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, in 2018 distracted driving claimed
2,841 lives; drivers, passengers,and pedestrians. When I was a high
school senior , the faculty brought in a guest speaker to present on
the dangers of texting and driving. Most of the students did not know
she was a paraplegic because she was sitting in a regular chair. She
started her speech by asking if they have been in a car with someone
who was texting and driving to raise their hand. A vast majority of
the students put their hand up and laughed as if it was a joke. It
was clear that she felt disgusted and angry with those who laughed at
the situation. As she explained how she became disabled by a
distracted driver, she emphasized that we are not immortal. Just
because a person thinks they can multitask at an exceptional rate
doesn’t mean they should put their lives or the lives of others at
risk. The most common reason they text and drive is because they are
overconfident that they will not cause an accident. Although people
may be excellent drivers, it only takes one second to become
distracted and cause an accident. Drivers may also believe they are
being “safe” if an outgoing text is sent while stopped at a safe
location such as a stop light. However, they do not account for the
fact that they may receive an incoming message while they are
driving. This could prompt the driver to swiftly look at their
messages during the drive and ultimately become distracted.
Therefore, although it may seem like a good idea to simply text when
stopped at a light, it should not be done since it is not effective.
Another reason that today’s generation enjoy texting while driving
is because there is a social pressure. The social pressure arises
since they feel an insecurity if they do not reply to their friends.
Young drivers can feel stressed by not replying. Preventative
measures could be to let friends know that they are going to be
temporarily unavailable for the duration of their drive. By doing
this, the driver is relieved of the social pressure. Another way
would be to place the phone on silent and out of reaching distance to
prevent the driver from being tempted. Lastly, all drivers need to be
informed of all the harm that can be caused, such as the paraplegic
example given, due to being distracted. Another example that I could
share is that a former classmate of mine was on his way to work when
a distracted driver ran a stop sign and hit him in a head on
collision. The driver walked away , but took the life of a 19 year
old man. Once drivers are well informed about how many senseless
accidents occur due to texting and driving, they can have a
realization about the dangers that come from it. I took the advice
of the guest speaker very seriously and I try to pass on that message
to new found friends and colleagues that I meet in my adult life in
order to save lives.