Distracted Driving

Taking Drivers-Ed classes, passing a written test, and passing a physical driving test are the three utmost important steps to receiving a driver’s license. Not only does this experience teach one the rules on the road, but it also educates those about the risks of driving. I believe talking about the risks is a major way that driver education reduces the number of deaths as a result of driving. When most people talk about Drivers-Ed the first thing that comes to mind is the videos recounting previous accidents caused by bad driving habits. This tactic is not simply to scare new drivers but to warn them of the real and tragic dangers of irresponsible driving.

While I have never been in a car accident or witnessed one occur, I have on countless occasions watched my family members and friends drive irresponsibly. The irresponsible behavior often is caused by other distractions they choose to focus on; like technology. In order to continue to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, I believe it is crucial to reduce distracted driving habits.

As I am about to turn 19, I am approaching 3 years since receiving my driver’s license. Although I, along with many other drivers, may have lots of driving experience, everyone will always face the challenges of distracted driving habits.

To break these bad habits, one needs to identify what distracts them while driving, then critically think about how they can prevent the behavior. Personally, my biggest distractions while driving are using technology, actively getting ready when running late, and having multiple people in the vehicle with me. To further prevent these distractions, it’s necessary to take a look at why these things occur.

Now, in society, I believe the biggest distraction amongst drivers is technology. I find this in myself when it comes to adjusting settings in my car and of course the use of my phone. Settings in the car I use most often include the widows, AC/heat, and the radio. These are just a few settings available in my 2005 Toyota Corolla; they do not begin to compare to the settings available in the newest 2022 vehicles. When it comes to my phone, notifications as well as music are the things that distract me the most. As soon as I receive a notification, I feel compelled to check to make sure it’s not important. As soon as I take my eyes off the road, I am putting everyone at risk. My phone also can play music that the radio does not. Adjusting the volume as well as what song is playing makes my phone a major distraction.

In order to decrease my use of technology, there are many things I can do. In the car, before I put it into drive, I can make sure the settings are where I want them. Make sure the air temperature is where I’d like, as well as the radio station. This will eliminate the need to use these features while I am driving. As for my phone, I can either turn it off completely or turn on the “drive safe” feature, which turns off notifications until my phone detects that I am no longer driving.

Secondly, a distracting habit I have is actively getting ready when I am running late. Oftentimes, I leave my house with just enough time to make it to my destination. I may not have had time to finish my hair, eat my breakfast, put my shoes on for track practice, etc. When I do not have time to do these things, it results in the, “I’ll just do it in the car” mentality. This can be highly dangerous.

Instead of planning to finish things in the car, I will start to plan my day more efficiently. That means waking up earlier in the morning and leaving with 10 extra minutes instead of five. Making these subtle changes in my life does not take much work, and will be highly rewarding in the long run.

Lastly, a major driving distraction I have, along with many other people, is having multiple people in the car with me. Oftentimes I will drive my friends and my younger siblings around. Having other people in the vehicle creates new distractions that were not there before. These distractions include having many conversations going on, loud noises, lots of movement, and turning around to see what’s going on in the back seat. Personality, this happens all of the time when my younger siblings are trying to show or tell me something.

Although it is impossible to avoid the need to have other people in my vehicle, these distractions can still be avoided. I believe the best way to eliminate these distractions includes setting boundaries with the people I bring into my car. This is something I actively practice a lot with my siblings. I let them know to ride in my car, they cannot be too loud, and they must stay buckled up in their seats. I also let them know I will not be looking back into the back seat unless it was an emergency; which I would then pull over. All of the rules are for my safety, their safety, and the safety of any other person on the road with us.

While distractions can always exist on the road, everyone can work diligently to prevent them from affecting their driving. For myself, I will work to decrease the need to use technology in the car, give myself more time to get ready before leaving my house and continue to set boundaries for others entering my car to keep everyone safe. Safe driving is attainable, taking these first steps towards stopping distracted driving gets us closer and closer to that end goal.