The Road to Safer Driving

When it comes to driving, one mistake can leave behind lifelong consequences. The smallest decisions a person makes behind the wheel can impact those around them for a lifetime. For instance, sending a text message while driving takes a driver’s attention away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. In this amount of time, the driver has already driven more than 80 meters without looking at the road once. Just imagine the sheer number of cars and pedestrians a driver could potentially collide with while driving distracted. Over the years, I have learned that avoiding distractions and maintaining focus while driving is one of the most effective ways of preventing an accident.

In simple terms, distracted driving is considered to be any action that diverts a driver’s attention away from the road. Unsurprisingly, technology use is the largest source of distracted driving. Whether it’s talking on the phone or sending a text, cell phone use while driving increases the risk of an accident by nearly 8 times. Oftentimes, a driver who is distracted by their cell phone will fluctuate their driving speed, drift out of their lane, and have a delayed reaction time. Published surveys have shown that the majority of people believe driving while being distracted is dangerous, but just as many people have admitted to using their cell phone while driving. So why do people continue to drive while distracted? One reason is that many drivers consider themselves to be capable of multitasking, which can lead to a false sense of confidence when driving distracted. Psychological research has proven that our brains are not wired to multitask while driving. When the brain becomes overwhelmed with tasks, it performs each action at a slower speed than usual. This explains the slower reaction times of distracted drivers and shows just how dangerous distracted driving can be.

Teenagers are especially prone to engaging in distracted driving. They are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. I witnessed this shocking fact last year when an accident involving four teenage girls occurred right outside of my house. The girls were driving in our neighborhood when the driver of the vehicle lost control and veered off the road into my neighbor’s backyard. The car broke through two sections of metal fencing and struck a gas pipe before hitting the side of a house. The city officials were on the scene shortly after to haul the totaled car away and take care of the gas leak. The girls who had been in the accident were quickly taken care of by the medics. Thankfully, none of them sustained life-threatening injuries. By the next day, all that was left of the accident were deep tire marks in my neighbor’s lawn and loose bricks on the ground where the car had collided with the house. I later found out that distracted driving may have played a role in the car accident. I felt particularly unsettled by the accident because there have been several situations where I have been in a noisy car with friends and a distracted driver. Too many times I have witnessed friends who drive too fast and swerve out of their lane due to being distracted. It saddens me that so many young people share similar experiences.

Educating drivers about the dangers of distracted driving is one of the best strategies for preventing motor vehicle accidents. Along with introducing individuals to traffic laws and regulations, Driver’s Education explains how to be a safe and responsible driver while on the road. Several studies have shown that Driver’s Education significantly reduces the occurrence of car accidents in young people. I still remember my own experience in my Driver’s Education course and the confidence that it provided me with as a new driver. This course is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to increasing driver awareness and preventing fatal car accidents. Although, further action must be taken to reduce these largely preventable deaths. I believe it would be beneficial for teenagers to complete a defensive driving course in addition to their standard Driver’s Education course. This course will supplement their driving knowledge and teach them how to respond to hazardous situations on the road. They can use this knowledge to help them avoid dangerous encounters and minimize their risk of getting involved in a car accident.

Another solution that may be helpful to new drivers is a course that teaches them the science behind distracted driving. Research suggests that texting causes a small increase in dopamine levels inside our brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for providing us with feelings of pleasure and reward. This seemingly minor chemical change impairs judgment and can cause us to overlook the dangers of distracted driving. For this reason, texting while driving acts almost like a drug and leads us to continue making unsafe decisions behind the wheel. If new drivers are made aware of these facts, it may help discourage them from engaging in distracted driving as well as other unsafe driving behaviors.

I have been driving for almost two years now and fortunately have never been involved in an accident. Each time I get behind the wheel, I try my best to minimize all distractions inside of my car before I get on the road. I make sure that my phone is on vibrate and somewhere that it cannot easily distract me. I also set my music beforehand so that I am not tempted to touch my radio while I drive. Yet, there are still further steps I can take to improve my driving and become a safer driver. One thing I would like to practice is staying calm when I am presented with stressful road conditions such as rain or traffic. I also aim to become a better passenger. When I am riding with friends or family, I offer to send texts for them and help control the music so they can concentrate on driving. Together, we can make the roads a safer place by saying no to distracted driving. After all, it only takes a few seconds to drastically change a life forever.