Ways I Prevent Distracted Driving

Nayelis Peguero

Ways I Prevent Distracted Driving

On March 26, 2019, I was in a car accident where the car behind rear-ended me at a stoplight. The driver was distracted on his phone and did not notice the red light. The accident resulted in my car being totaled and left me with anxiety and fear every time I went behind the wheel. Since my accident, I am more awakened about the true dangers of distracted driving. In a world where everyone is constantly using technology, people cannot stop glancing at their phones. While I am guilty of doing the same action, it is important to know the time and place. With smart cars, people believe driving is easier, and taking a glance at their phone is harmless. However, that is far from true. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2018, 2,841 lives were killed due to distracted driving, and approximately 400,000 people were injured in car crashes caused by distracted drivers. From these statistics, it is essential now more than ever to teach people how to avoid distracted driving because car accidents like mine can be avoided.

When I was finally regaining my confidence behind the wheel, I made a promise to myself to never use or look at my phone while driving. To prevent the temptation, here are a few steps I take to ensure my safety. Firstly, I find it helpful to have a go-to playlist with all the favorite songs. There have been multiple instances where I notice my friends reach for their phones while driving to change a song. Having that go-to playlist with all the best songs can decrease the need to reach the phone to skip one song. In addition to that, I found it effective to turn off my notifications. Blocking notifications helps reduce the distraction of looking at the phone. When the notification screen lights up, people automatically want to pick up their phone and know what the notification is about. That split-second of distraction is not worth a life, especially when it’s a text from your cellphone provider. While turning off notifications is effective, sometimes the sight of a smartphone is tempting. When receiving my college decisions, I would not stop checking my phone even if there was not a notification. During these moments, it is important to keep the phone out of sight. Putting the phone in a bag or the glove compartment can be extremely helpful in minimizing the temptation. This tip kept me focused on driving without any distractions.

Of course, these tips do not come naturally and take practice before they become habits, but these habits are worth developing. Car accidents caused by distracted drivers are preventable, and it is important to realize that no notification, phone call, or text is worth someone’s endangerment. The trauma of my car accident continues to live with me. Knowing if the person behind the wheel did not use their phone could have prevented my accident makes me passionate about stopping distracted drivers.