Dealing With Distractions

Many of my friends “saved” money by just getting the DMV driver’s manual, logging the minimum hours behind the wheel with a parent, and passing through to get a driver’s license. Several experiences as a passenger with my friends have convinced me that driver education is important and should be mandatory for all new drivers. Just the other day, I was in the passenger seat of my friend’s car with another friend in the backseat. The driver is notorious for her speeding. She is comfortable driving at least 10 to 20 mph over the speed limit, including when she is turning. I feel like she is testing the laws of gravity on curves. When she misses a turn, she decides to reverse back to the area she missed instead of continuing to the next turn. While she was driving recklessly, I looked at my friend in the backseat and was horrified to see that she was not wearing her seatbelt and she had her legs kicked up on the window ledge. So many reckless choices were made that day, but luckily we got to our destination safely. I believe if my friends had gone through a more comprehensive driving program, they would be knowledgeable and better equipped to safely operate and ride in a car, decreasing the risk of a terrible accident for everyone. Before I received my license, I took a 36-hour driving course, and logged over 40 hours of driving during the daytime with my dad and 10 hours of driving during the nighttime with my mom. I have been driving every day by myself for the past two and a half years and have not gotten in an accident. Some key takeaways from my driving course were that people are unpredictable, constant awareness is a must, and that there are scenarios in driving that you can be prepared for when you are properly trained. While not everyone chooses to be a conscientious driver, mandatory driver education in schools would significantly decrease traffic fatalities and accidents.

Other steps that have already been taken to prevent driving fatalities include the most common logical measures such as seat belt and cell phone laws, drunk and impaired driving laws, traffic cameras, roadway designs to reduce speed and unprotected turns, policies for graduated licensure, and public awareness campaigns. Enforcement and consequences that are meaningful are essential to making these effective measures. Newer vehicles have amazing safety features including super annoying seatbelt alarms when a passenger is unbuckled, automatic breaking and lane correction, and side airbags. Making these automobile features a standard requirement over time will help reduce traffic accidents. 

Personal accountability to reduce distracted driving is a way that I aim to be a better and safer driver. As I have become more comfortable and confident as a driver, I also realize that it is easy to let your attention begin to drift elsewhere besides the road. Getting distracted by my music and my phone, the milkshake I cannot wait to drink until I get home, or strong emotions influenced by a person (my sister) really affect my focus. I have come up with some of my own strategies to keep myself accountable and focused on safe driving. 

As much as I love the experience of creating entire musical productions in my car, I realize singing and acting as my favorite characters is incredibly distracting while driving. So to help increase my attention on the road and less on my music, I make my playlists ahead of time and keep the volume down to a reasonable volume so that I can still hear noises outside of my car. Listening to music I enjoy while driving has the benefit of keeping me alert, but only if it is not distracting. Discovering silence mode has made it much easier for me to ignore notifications on my phone. I am able to hide all messages and notifications from my ears and eyesight until I am fully parked and out of my car. 

When there is food in the car, I have little restraint from grabbing a quick fry from the bag or having a sip in from my milkshake. The food is right there! Only inches away. But looking down for just one second can change your life forever. A few years ago, my mom was rear-ended at full freeway speed because the lady was talking on her cell phone and reached down for one second to find a napkin. My mom literally watched the woman in her rearview mirror with no place to go as she was locked in by traffic. Experiences like this have helped me realize that driving is a huge responsibility and you can injure another person in a matter of seconds when you are distracted and your eyes leave the road.

Now that I am able to drive, I have become a chauffeur for my younger sister. The great thing about having a sibling is that they know how to get on your nerves. Sometimes my anger from our fights tends to cloud my judgment and make me a little reckless on the road. Whenever I am feeling a strong emotion, I have had to put my foot down and say I cannot drive until my emotions become calmer. While not going to a planned event may not be the most convenient, this option is definitely the safest for myself and others.

One second is all it takes to cause a car accident. One second of looking at your phone, one second of grabbing a napkin, one second of yelling over at your sibling can change everything. Driving must be taken seriously. Having a license is a privilege and a responsibility because more than just your life is at stake. Requiring Drivers Ed, taking extra precautions, and holding yourself accountable are steps that can be taken to protect more lives.