The Advancement of Drivers ed with Technology

As Americans, it is obvious that a huge part of our lives is devoted to technology. Whether it be laptops, televisions, or smartphones, every modern piece of technology has a huge impact on our daily lives. There are many benefits to using these gadgets, like using them as a news source, as a market to sell goods and services, and as a means of communication. What could be the disadvantages of using this modern technology excessively? Distracted driving with the use of a cell phone behind the wheel is one of the leading causes of automobile accidents in the United States. Surprisingly, drinking while driving is not as much of a concern as texting and driving is, since drunk driving is on the decline while texting and driving is on the rise. How should we solve this nationwide problem? It starts in the drivers ed classroom with the young drivers who use cell phones daily.

The feeling I get when I share a ride with someone who uses their cell phone behind the wheel is more of a panicking feeling than anything else. Just watching them physically take their eyes off the road for a number of seconds to check a text makes me squirm. The feeling of safety is just drawn away from the car during the few moments the eyes of the driver are focused on the phone. Unfortunately, I have been put in this situation many times during my years in high school. During my yearlong course of drivers ed, the issue of using a cell phone behind the wheel was barely touched on. The young high schoolers are at the age where they are doing both – learning to drive and using cell phones excessively. Drivers ed courses should have an entire chapter (or more, for that matter) on learning strategies to keep young drivers from getting distracted by their cell phones. The idea of teaching the student drivers about the dangers of texting while driving could be immense. It could turn into a safe lifestyle where these drivers haven’t ever known any different way to drive.

It is clear by the number of accidents and deaths each day that result from texting and driving that there needs to be a solution to this problem. The key to this solution is to target and teach the people at the roots, which are the student drivers in their drivers ed courses. The course should include safe methods or alternatives to using a cell phone while behind the wheel. These strategies include turning off the phone before driving, switching the phone to silent mode, contacting the certain people needed before driving, or even putting it away in the glovebox until the drive is over. Although it may cause people to feel a bit uneasy, passengers should use verbal methods when witnessing the driver practicing unsafe cell phone use while driving. These tactics are proven to help save lives, and drivers need to make these lifesaving decisions more often.