Becoming A Safer Driver

Jarrod Corby

Becoming A Safer Driver

The Death tally when it comes to driver error within a motor vehicle has skyrocketed over the years, but why is this. The uptick in technology, although producing safer car designs, has also produced more distractions. A major factor to unsafe driving is the introduction of the telephone while in a vehicle. Telephones and social media are so addicting that the dopamine release when a notification goes off produces angst and a sense of urgency to pick the phone up because it may just be that special somebody.

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Now although this stat line may not reveal the total fatalities but it certainly increases the chance of a fatality happening. In order to reduce the usage of cell phones it is not just the parents responsibility as they cannot just let their kid leave without a form of communication but it is the big tech companies as well as social media platforms responsibilities to create guidelines as well as restrictions when a person is traveling at a certain speed.

Industries such as ford have already begun their process of creating safer driving environments by producing audio when a phone connects or is plugged into the port to make sure the driver is staying alert. This personally reminds me to stay focused on the road and off my device while I am driving.

As someone who has almost been run into while driving as well as being run into while a passenger I know how dangerous the cell phone is while it is in the driver’s hand. This is also why I believe the key to safer driving and safer roads is to rid the use of cellphones while driving.