A Reflection to Reduce Driving Damage

I glance at the clock on the dash, counting down the time before my work shift starts. Five minutes. A sense of panic sets in, and I turn up the music, attempting to block out my thoughts. If only I could drive a little bit faster, maybe I won’t be late. As I approach a red light, I turn on my blinker and get into the right lane, but, as I do so, I realize the vehicles in front of me are getting larger much too quickly. I slam down the clutch and brake, making the car lurch forward, but luckily I stopped with just enough time. I glance at the clock again. Four minutes.

With my turn signal still on, I look to my left, watching cars drive past. I need an opening to turn right on red, but there’s a car in front of me. I take a deep breath and turn off the distracting music, trying to relax and remember to drive more attentively. Not only would getting into a wreck take time, but I could harm myself or someone else on the road. I look to the left again, spying an opening between the speeding cars. Fortunately, the vehicle in front of me sees it too and speeds forward. I look at the dash again. Three minutes.

I turn my eyes on the moving cars and press down on the gas pedal, eyeing the timing. But just as I start moving forward, the car in front of me slams on the breaks. In just enough time, I look forward and stop the car, only a few inches behind the bumper ahead.

In that moment, I remember how fast my heart was pounding in my head, and the embarrassment and anxiety I felt. That moment has replayed in my mind because it was the closest I have ever been to being in a car accident. Because of that instance, I realized driving calmly and safely was more important than being on time. There are too many consequences involved such as car repairs, increased insurance costs, and most notably, harm or even death to myself, pedestrians, or others on the road.

After this event a few months ago, I started to reflect on my driving habits by remembering what I learned in my driver education course. That’s when I noticed a pattern: I often avert my attention from the road in front of me. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed with being late to an event, I turn up the radio to an unreasonable volume which makes it difficult to pay attention to my surroundings and obstacles in front of me. In fact, listening to music is known to decrease reaction times by 20%, significantly increasing the chances of an auto-accident. Moreso, if an emergency vehicle were to be behind me, I may not notice it due to distracting music, which could further increase harm or death due to driving, albeit indirectly. Hence, I now make sure to keep the volume of the radio low enough to where I can still hear cars driving past me outside, or I can easily hear navigation from my phone.

Instead of using my mirrors or peripheral vision to look beside and behind me, I turn my head. This action restricts me from seeing in front of me which can easily lead to a crash and injuries if I veer my eyesight away for too long. Although observing one’s surroundings is an essential part of driving in order to be prepared in an emergency situation, I must remind myself to stay focused on the road ahead and use my mirrors to increase my vision while keeping my head facing one direction.

Another driving habit I seem to have is looking at my cell phone while at a red light. This action distracts me, and sometimes I cannot notice when a light turns green, making driving less efficient for myself and the cars waiting behind me. Additionally, if I do not pay attention to the traffic light and instead drive when I see cars next to me moving, this action could easily lead to hitting a vehicle in front of me. Instead, I should pull over into a nearby parking lot if I need to call/text someone, change my navigation, or any other activity that deviates my attention from the road in front of me.

When I was studying for my Provisional Driver License, I often thought the driver education course was too repetitive with information and auto-accident related facts; however, it’s only a year later that I realized the importance of emphasizing this information. By repeating driving safety, driver education courses teach individuals the life-or-death consequences of driving and how to effectively avoid them. I’ve learned I must limit my distractions to focus on the road ahead of me. This solution includes leaving the house at least five minutes earlier than I think I need to, so I feel less stressed while driving. Additionally, I will minimize the sound of my radio. Lastly, I will keep my attention on the direction my vehicle is moving and pull over to check my phone if necessary. Even if I observe my parents or friends multitasking behind the wheel, I must remember to think about the potential consequences a certain distraction can cause. By following safe driving habits, not only will I become a better driver, but I will be keeping myself and others safer on the road by leading by example.