“Why couldn’t it wait?” Driver Education Initiative 2022

Driver’s Education is a pivotal part of every person’s life. It represents freedom, responsibility, and introduces us into a new world where we get to be the one “at the wheel,” (literally and figuratively). My generation has been one that has frequently fought for change, yet some of that necessary change seems to get lost when we become engulfed in our own world, specifically the technological world.

Texting and driving has become one of the most lethal acts of distracted driving since mobile phones were introduced into our everyday lives. Something that is supposed to be our first glimpse into responsibility has become so tainted with irresponsibility and carelessness. According to crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov,** there were “3,142 people killed and an estimated additional 324,652 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers” in 2020 alone. This topic hits especially close to home since losing one of my oldest family friends, Ryan,** to a texting and driving incident.

Ryan was driving his parents and younger sister home from a family graduation and it was about 11:30 at night. They were driving along a two lane highway with a small median in the middle to separate the lanes of traffic, when a small car driven by a young woman veered sharply into Ryan’s lane hitting him head on with no chance to respond. Everyone in the family was critically injured and hospitalized for several weeks, but the worst pain of it all was Ryan’s instant death in the collision.

Laws and education to encourage safe driving that prohibits the use of distractions, especially those of electronic devices, while at the wheel may be frustrating to some people, but it could be life-saving to others. You might even be one of the people that think like this:

“I am only checking my phone every once in a while. It is not like I am constantly on it so I am not being unsafe.”

“My eyes were off the road for 5 seconds. That is nothing!”

“I am such a good texter. I can even do it with my eyes closed, so texting while driving does not apply to me.”

Laws have been set up in past years in an attempt to rid the roads of the use of mobile electronics while driving, but texting related deaths are **occurring more and more with each passing year. These laws are not to be an inconvenience to you or an insult to your driving skills, but they are meant to keep the roads safe like seat belts are meant to keep you secure. Are you willing to bet the lives of others on your texting skills? Would you have bet Ryan’s life?

Of course, there are countless other distractions that take place on the road aside from mobile devices, but that is one of many concerns. Distracted drivers are as dangerous as the roads can be in our modern day world, but it is not limited to texting. Drinking and driving, distracting passengers, and even high emotions can limit one’s ability to drive safely. Have you ever driven in a car after you had been in a heated argument with someone? Did you notice your speed increasing or your moves becoming sharper and less attentive?

I remember driving with my mother while she was arguing with my oldest sister. I don’t remember the conversation, but they were deep into a boiling altercation. Their voices were growing louder until they were just shy of shouting, and before we knew it my mom came inches away from having a Chevy pickup turn the nose of our 2015 Minivan into Lord Voldemort. Anything and everything can have an effect on the safety of your driving skills, but with proper education and emotional regulation these dangers can be minimized.

Ever since that day with my sister and my mom, I wanted to make sure that I remained attentive and level-headed whilst behind the wheel. Much to the dismay of my husband, I keep several precautions in place to ensure my/my family’s safety. Such steps include: not playing the radio too loud, making sure windows are clear and not covered with dirt or luggage, and not eating while driving. It doesn’t seem like much, but it can become a frustrating hassle to others when we are placed in a hurry. Several times I have been tempted to give in, but then I remember that woman who crashed into Ryan’s car. I know Ryan’s father personally, and he was kind enough to tell me the **full story that the news was unable to report. This woman was in such a hurry to get home because she was running late and she couldn’t wait a minute longer to send a text message to her mother saying she was on her way so she wouldn’t worry, and because of that 3-second action she cost Ryan his life.

“On my way.” The three words that took three seconds that stole one life.

These are the facts that most drivers don’t realize or understand to be a big deal while being in control of a moving vehicle. We all love to brag about everything that we can get done and how well we can multitask, but if we knew how much this particular type of multitasking risked the lives of others and ourselves, I am certain that we would not continue to “brag.”