Behind the Wheel: Putting Safety First

Sometimes as I’m driving I’ll be suddenly overwhelmed with the notion that we are all careening down the freeway at 70 miles per hour, unthinkingly trusting each other not to do anything careless like swerve a few inches to the left. Thoughts like these tend to keep me pretty humble on the road.

I think drivers ed has the opportunity to play a critical role in reducing deaths on the road, though I’m not sure it always delivers on that responsibility. I don’t remember much about my drivers ed experience other than that it involved long stagnant hours in a dimly lit classroom with grainy videos older than my grandparents. If drivers ed was modernized and focused on actually educating rather than simply checking off the required classroom hours, we might see first-time drivers making slightly better choices on the road.

Reducing deaths related to driving means addressing a wide range of reckless behavior but let’s address texting specifically since it remains a widespread problem. Despite texting while driving being illegal, it’s still pretty common to find yourself behind a vehicle doing the Electric Slide at 10 miles under the speed limit because the driver is on their phone. With so much awareness surrounding this issue I think stricter consequences might be needed to deter people. Fining people for texting while driving isn’t going to stop people who can afford it. I think community service, such as highway cleanup, might be a decent alternative for those who wouldn’t worry about fines but might hesitate to risk their time and dignity.

Luckily I have not been in a car accident so far in my short 6 years behind the wheel and for the most part my friends and family are fairly responsible. That said, there is one incident I don’t think I’ll ever forget from many years ago. I was hitching a ride with my best friend as well as her older sister and the sister’s boyfriend who was driving. The boyfriend was on his phone, not texting though I’m sure he did plenty of that, but scrolling his Facebook newsfeed. Even as young as I was, I couldn’t believe it. To put an entire car of people at risk because driving was apparently too boring to give your full attention to was beyond my comprehension, still is.

I consider myself a fairly cautious driver. Though I certainly make mistakes every now and then, I’m not one to be intentionally reckless. The most profound influence on my driving habits has been the recognition that every other vehicle out there with me is holding real, complex human beings like myself. Seems obvious right? But it’s far too easy to forget that basic fact and let roadrage get the best of us over what may have been an honest mistake. When I first got my license I was definitely a bit of a speed demon but throughout the past couple of years I’ve shifted my focus to just getting to my destination safely.