Preserve Life

“Seek only to preserve life – your own and those of others. Life alone is sacred.”

— Yasuo Kuwahara

Life is important to every individual no matter the age. Reducing driving fatalities is of the utmost importance. Sadly, many times the gift of life is overlooked by the very age group that is in the beginner driving phase. Unlike Kuwahara’s quote, teens tend to think only of the immediate moment and not the preservation of life for themselves or others. It is not uncommon for teenagers to think they are invincible during a period of time when they are at their healthiest and at the top of their athletic abilities. Yet, it is this very age group that tends to be at the highest risk for traffic accidents. They are a tragic combination of inexperience and fearlessness mixed with the technological habit of always being available by text or social media. They tend to follow too close by simply not paying attention or by going too fast. In all fairness, it isn’t just among the younger population. Older adults, likewise, who are experienced drivers sometimes find themselves involved in traffic violations and accidents too. Whether it is due to phone usage causing distraction or being in too big of a hurry to avoid following too closely, it is important to investigate what can be done to reverse the tragic habit of severe accidents that could otherwise be prevented. As I look into safer driving solutions, may I too learn to be a better and safer driver.

 First of all, just as seatbelt and infant car seat habits took time and effort to develop and become the norm of society, avoiding phone use while in the driver seat will also take time and effort to establish. It should begin with parental habits when children are young. When small children grow up seeing phone usage as the normal driving habit, they too determine they are capable of exhibiting the same behavior when it is time for them to drive. It should be made clear to teenagers then, that driver cell phone usage is dangerous for everyone, even adults. New habits should be taught on how to stow a phone out of reach while driving. Keeping the phone in a zipped backpack or in the backseat is the most effective way, in my opinion, to break the habit. Targeting everyone, not just teens, could be the first step in ridding the driver’s seat of cell phone use. This in turn would significantly reduce fatal accidents caused by distracted driving.

Rewarding good behavior is always successful to some degree when trying to establish a new practice. Could insurance companies develop an app that rewards drivers every time they do not respond to a text or call while driving? Or even if it simply rewards the driver every time they put their phone into the “do not disturb, I’m driving” mode. Watching dollars or rewards accrue in an app provides immediate positive feedback for each small success in becoming hands and distraction free while driving. Perhaps police officers could offer rewards too.  Anytime they pull over a driver for a minor infraction and determine the phone is safely stowed away from the driver’s seat, could they hand out vouchers for a free local coffee or ice cream?  Any type of external reward, no matter how small, can provide a fun way to begin establishing new habits.  

In the new era of social distancing, perhaps car distancing can also come into the limelight for a safer society. Many times traffic accidents are due to improper space being given between vehicles. I myself was recently rear ended by another teen who was following too closely to the vehicle directly behind me. When the immediate vehicle behind my car went safely around me as I was signaling and waiting to turn left, the second vehicle was left without enough room to safely maneuver as well. Thankfully no one was hurt, but had this driver given more space, then they too could have safely gone around my stopped car. These minor types of accidents, in addition to many major ones, could easily be prevented if “car distancing” became the norm. There is not a good reason to ever closely tail another vehicle or weave in and out of congested traffic with little to no room in order to properly do so. Car distancing could be marketed similarly to how social distancing has been, even adding in humorous anecdotes to play on the similarity of ideals. In an ever-devastating era of traffic accidents, perhaps “Car Distancing Education” could have a proper place in aiding the effort for safer roads.

After investigating several ways to become a safer driver, I am convinced that progress among society can occur. Through proper habit training, rewards, and new types of driving education, drivers can begin to take proper steps to achieving better safety habits. We must also remember that it is not only teens to blame, but society as a whole is responsible to some degree for the hazardous driving habits that have been established by many of us. Together we can break the past driving behaviors that have caused many otherwise preventable accidents from occurring. Together we can make the roads safer for all drivers whether they be new to the road or more experienced.