The Three D’s of Irresponsible Driving

It is estimated that every year over 38,000 people in the U.S. die in car accidents (Road Safety Facts, 2020). Along with this unsettling statistic is the fact that traffic fatalities are the number one cause of death for individuals ages 1-54. These statistics do not include the millions more who are either injured or permanently handicapped because of car accidents. Furthermore, mere numbers can never express the trauma and devastating grief that car accidents leave in their wake.

The first step in reducing the number of traffic fatalities, is to tell people the sobering facts. It is only when people recognize the severity of this problem that they will be motivated to participate in the solution. The second step is to educate people on the causes of car accidents so that they can guard against participating in these behaviors. I would like to highlight three major causes of traffic fatalities and give examples that I am personally familiar with. I have termed these causes “The Three D’s”: drunk, drowsy, and distracted.

Several years ago, my family received the horrifying news that our friends had lost their 9-year-old daughter when a drunk driver, headed the opposite direction, had swerved into oncoming traffic and hit their vehicle. We are all liable for our actions. Driving responsibly involves arranging a ride home after a night of drinks or asking an impartial friend to evaluate our sobriety before attempting to drive.

We have probably all experienced it: trying to stay awake while driving. We might roll down the windows, blast our music, snack on chips, or engage in a variety of tricks to keep us awake. But perhaps we need to take a step back and remind ourselves what is at stake. I know a man whose entire family was flung from their vehicle because he dosed off. While everyone survived, this image should serve to remind us that drowsy driving can be deadly.

Whether it is making that short text or reaching behind our seat to grab a snack, we have all been distracted drivers. Most of us understand that texting and driving can be fatal, but some of us may justify other actions that divert our attention just as much. The truth is – distraction is distraction, no matter what form it takes. Just two seconds with our eyes off the road or a second with our hands off the steering wheel, and the lives of many people could be lost or damaged.

I will close by sharing something that is especially personal to me. Eight months ago, a friend of mine made a terrible driving error and was instantly killed. She had woken up that morning well before 4 a.m. to work a four-hour shift before heading to college. At 8:30 a.m., while driving to school, she made a fatal mistake that can only be attributable to drowsiness or distraction; she turned left on a red light.

Let us all strive to avoid the “Three D’s” and be responsible drivers!