You Decide

What’s better, altering the way you drive or causing an expensive or fatal car accident? When growing up, one thing that you look forward to is getting behind the wheel and driving. To many kids, that is the first sign of independence. Not having to ask your parents or older siblings for a ride is one of the biggest joys about getting your license. However, there is one thing that could take all of that joy away very fast: a car accident. You have to be a certain age and go through different types of testing to even obtain a license because it is a big responsibility. The last thing you want to do is to mess that up by being in a car accident.

Distracted driving is one of the major ways people of today get into car accidents. From texting while driving to attending to something in the back seat or as simple as changing the radio station. All of these things could cause a fatal accident. I, for one, can attest to being a distracted driver from time to time. For some reason, people only want to call you or text you when you are driving. I understand that sometimes it is very hard to resist responding or answering but we have to think about our safety and the safety of others on the road.

When tackling the task of driving, we don’t think about how dangerous it is. For most of us, it is a part of our daily routine. When teenagers first start driving, their parents are usually very strict over exactly what they’re doing. They make sure their hands are on 10 and 2, they make sure their seatbelt is on, they make sure that they are completely focused and I’m sure they’ll freak out if their kid picks up their cellphone or tries to change the radio station. My mother does that to me every time I drive her somewhere. Even though we would think that’s being “over the top”, their methods are only to keep us safe.

We as drivers have become so comfortable with driving, we’ve forgotten how dangerous it can be. If our moms were in the car with us, we wouldn’t be on our phones, playing with the radio or looking in our backseat to grab those shades so you can take a selfie. So why don’t we just act like our mom is in the car with us all of the time. I’m not saying to the point to where we are completely uncomfortable and start straining our backs. However, out of respect for everyone else’s safety, I don’t think it would be such a problem to wait until you park to take a selfie or text your friend back. A lot of cars have Bluetooth so you’ll be able to talk on the phone without actually having to pick it up.

I think that the next time you get ready to go somewhere, take about 10 minutes to prepare everything so you won’t become the next distracted driver. This could potentially save your life and the life of another driver. 1.) Create or pick an amazing playlist with some of your favorite tunes on it. Make sure that you have enough songs to last you to your destination, and then some. 2.) Go ahead and put your destination in your phone. That way if you get lost, you’ll already have a backup plan. 3.) Eat before you leave so you don’t eat while you’re driving. 4.) If you don’t have Bluetooth, put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” so the calls and texts you get, won’t distract you from driving. These 4 easy steps can save you from a world full of pain later on down the road. I mean what’s better, altering the way you drive or causing an expensive or fatal car accident? You decide.