Make the Right Decision

Driver education is very vital to the safety of those on the road and pedestrians. We have rules set in place to keep us safe, these rules should be abided. Yet there are so many who do not. When I was in elementary school, a green Jeep was speeding and ran through a stop sign in a parking lot crashing into my mother’s minivan. My mother was driving and my older sister and I were sitting in the back. The front passenger door was smashed in and the van was totaled. Luckily no one was physically harmed, just some minor bumps, bruises, and sprains. About 45 min before the accident we were trying to convince my grandmother to come shopping with us, but she insisted on going home. If she did come with us, she could’ve been severely hurt or worse.

Ever since the accident, I find I get almost crippling anxiety whenever I am in the car, especially with my family; I get into the car fearing the worst. I loathe parking lots, I cannot stand long drives, even driving through my neighborhood I am on edge. I get upset at friends and family who text and drive; I insist they stop messaging me until they have reached their destination; or that they put their phones away while I am in the car. I am always on them about wearing a seatbelt too, quoting Dora the Explorer, “so we can be safe.”

Ensuring driver safety can be challenging, one cannot be in the car with others at all times. But when I am in the car, as a passenger, there are a couple of things I could do. One, hold on to the phone of the driver, if they will allow me. Two remind the person driving to put on their seatbelt; especially those who treat the seatbelt reminder sound as white noise (cue eyeroll). Something else that could be done, although it may not be socially welcomed, is to have drivers take another drivers test every 5 years or so. It could be a combo of the written and the driving or just all driving. This could be very beneficial especially for the elderly, who’s skills may or may not decline with age.

Additional help from bigger companies can also prove to be useful. For example, Apple has a “do not disturb while driving” feature. Yes, one has the ability to turn this off, but for those who do not I am sure it has been very beneficial. We are in a time where we need to be connected to our devices at all times, they are our main source of communication. But we also need to learn how to detach from these devices. It is okay to take a break from your communication and put that phone down. “The text can wait” literally.

I know for myself, I will be reading the drivers manual very closely and ensuring all distractions are away while driving. Of course no one is perfect, not even I, and we all get distracted every now and then. But in that moment of distraction will you be selfish? Or will you be safe? The choice is yours.