How We As A Society Improve Our Driving Habits

Dangerous driving not only puts yourself in danger but anyone else in your driving path. More than a dozen people die every day due to bad driving habits. This includes texting and driving, using your phone while driving, being distracted on the wheel, and drunk driving.

There are so many ways to reduce dangerous driving habits. It is very easy to identify the risks you are taking while on the wheel. Phone usage is a common way people get into accidents. A lot of people depend on their phone nowadays where it is difficult to turn away from your phone for a couple of minutes. We’ve all been in a situation where we’re driving and we suddenly get a text from someone. Of course, we’re curious and want to know what the text is but it is not worth risking your life for. This also includes social media. Take Snapchat for example. Someone can get a Snapchat notification from a friend thinking they can quickly take a look at it and send a snapback. This process can take 15 seconds but those 15 seconds can end someone’s life if they accidentally drive off the road and crash.

Technology today is making it easier for people to drive safely. On the newer Apple iPhone updates, there is a setting to set your phone on when driving. It is called the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” button. All someone has to do is click on this button before they set out to drive and their iPhone will not notify them that they got a notification or text while driving. If someone is texting you, they will be sent back a message saying that the person they are trying to contact is currently driving. After someone finishes their trip and turns the setting off, that notification will show up. I personally use this while driving and I even had my friends start using it. It is very useful. Newer cars also have Bluetooth and handsfree buttons where all the needed buttons are on the driver’s wheel. If someone needs to make a call, they do not have to touch their phone. They can answer phones through vehicle Bluetooth, dial phone numbers on the wheel’s control, and change the radio or music through the buttons on the wheel. If someone needs to send a text back, they can use the Siri app. All someone has to do is tell Siri who they want the text sent to and what they want to say in the text. This is all vocal and that is how I send a text on my phone without even touching my phone once. Siri even reads the text someone else has sent to you. I use all these functions to make my driving experience safer.

Drunk driving is also a big killer on the road. I understand that someone needs to get home after a fun night out with their friends but if they do not feel sober enough to drive home, they should call for a friend or family member who is sober to drive them home. They can also take an Uber or Lyft as well. If someone wants to drive home in their car, they think twice before drinking.

I have seen videos online of people getting arrested for killing someone else because they were either drunk or distracted on the wheel. Even though the driver at fault didn’t die they now have to live with the guilt that they killed someone else because of their bad decision and mistake. A victim could have been a father, mother, grandparent, a sister, a brother, even a child. I can’t imagine living knowing that I killed a child because of a stupid decision I made. I hope anyone who thinks about using their phone or drink and drive knows the risks they are about to put everyone in.

If you ever question if what you are doing behind the wheel is dangerous then it IS dangerous. Trust me, I had these habits before. I use to text and drive and even use social media behind the wheel. Once when I almost got into an accident, I realized it was not worth it anymore. Don’t put your life and someone else’s on the line to send back one text message. This is for all teenagers and anyone else who has these dangerous habits. I promise those text messages and notifications will still be there after you reach your destination. This is why people should practice safe driving and how they can do so.