The Road is a Battlefield

I am part of the 25% of the American population that gets nervous while boarding an airplane. I worry that something could go wrong, like the plane would crash or run out of fuel. Of course, these speculations are unlikely to come true, and there are failsafes to ensure the safety of everyone onboard. Additionally, there are no distracted pilots in the air. Because of this, the trip to the airport was actually much more treacherous than the flight would ever be. We need to remind ourselves that the road is a battlefield compared to the dangers that can occur on a flight. Despite this, why do people not feel worried when they enter their cars? It is because of the immense lack of awareness of the potential dangers of driving.

In 2018 alone, 39404 people lost their lives to car crashes. 2841 of them were lost due to distracted driving. Lives can be saved if certain steps are taken to ensure there are less distractions while on the road. If people take drivers’ education more seriously and if all drivers’ education teachers show their students how to reduce distractions, like muting a phone, it would reduce the number of crashes. Waiting to text until after the drive could not only save the driver’s life, but pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers in surrounding cars would be saved as well. Not being attentive puts everyone in danger.

My father once had a car crash at an intersection while on his way home. The other car’s driver was looking towards the backseat and was talking to her baby when she had lost control of her vehicle. Both riders were lucky, but the impact could have been fatal. My father and grandfather were injured due to the impact of the crash and the burns from the air bags. All that was needed was one second of distraction for the car to lose control. Alertness while driving should never be overlooked, because it is very important.

Driving experience hardly matters if the driver becomes distracted. Sometimes experienced drivers take driving lightly because of overconfidence. For example, 15 years after his first crash, my father crashed his car again. While he was in the middle of a sharp turn, his phone rang, and he veered off road, trying to answer his phone. While trying to regain control, he hit a mailbox. Muting his phone could have saved him from crashing. Imagine making a mistake like this on a busy highway. What if instead of a mailbox, a pedestrian was hit? Driving while distracted could be a fatal mistake.

I learned the dangers of distracted driving in my drivers’ education course. They taught me to mute my phone and stay alert while on the road. I have seen my family members and friends drive irresponsibly, and I would tell them that lives are at risk. Driving while distracted is no joke. Many people have lost their lives to the people who take driving lightly.