Three Seconds: Why Driving Safely Matters

“She had only looked down at her phone for three seconds and that’s all it took; the paramedics said they don’t know how we lived through it.” My mom was in the passenger seat, her best friend driving them to what they thought would be a relaxing vacation. Little did they know that “relaxing vacation” would quickly turn into a nightmare in the matter of three seconds. To those who haven’t experienced a car accident, this story may seem bizarre. In reality, accidents like these happen every single day, except some people aren’t as fortunate as my mom and her friend were. All it took was three seconds of inattention at the wheel and I wouldn’t be here writing this essay today.

Now I will be the first to admit, I look at my phone while driving to change the song (less so now that I have a button on my steering wheel to change it). I am sure many of you can relate whether it be to change the song, send a text, or maybe even browse social media at a stoplight. Being that I have engaged in unsafe driver behavior, I will not act like I am in any position to shame those of you who do the same. However, I will encourage you to allow stories such as my mom’s to impact you for the better. Sometimes some stories have a bigger effect than others, often it is when the story involves someone close to us. I encourage you to show empathy by listening to stories of car accidents as if it were someone close to you because all it takes is three seconds for it to become someone close to you.

I remember turning 15 and getting my learners permit; the excitement of finally being able to learn how to drive. My parents would take me out to an empty parking lot and have us practice parking. I also remember my first time driving on a real road and it being nothing like I imagined, I was terrified. I drove so slow that people had to pass me. I scheduled my driving test as soon as I turned 16, similarly, I was anxious during the entire test. Strangely enough, I feel lucky that I am still a cautious driver and I suppose it has paid off because I am 19 and have yet to receive a ticket. In no way am I saying that everyone needs to be terrified every time they pull out of their driveway, however, everyone can take steps to become a safer driver.

A very crucial part of being a safe driver is paying attention, I know it is obvious but it clearly is easily forgotten. Getting distracted by your phone is easy and so is spacing out and driving when you know you’re too tired. Driving while distracted causes around 30,000 deaths every year. Another very important thing to avoid is driving under the influence of substances. If you are planning on going to a party, have a designated driver, call an uber or simply don’t drink. Over 11,000 people died in 2020 from drinking and driving which is 14% more than 2019. The last step I will mention is to avoid speeding. In 2020, there were over 11,000 speeding related deaths, almost 1,500 are from Texas, my home state.

Driver’s education programs are shown to significantly reduce teen car crashes and tickets. A study was conducted on over 150,000 ten drivers over the span of eight years. This study showed that young drivers who did not complete driver’s education are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket and 24% more likely to be in a car crash injury or fatal car crash. Teen crashes and fatal accidents are highest at ages 16-18 which is why driver’s education is so important during this time (University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network, 2015). GDL (graduated driver licensing) exists in all U.S. states and has proven by various studies to be effective. There are three stages of GDL: the first being a learner’s permit, second is a provisional license, and the third is a full license. This process allows teenagers to practice in low risk conditions while gaining experience (CDC, 2022).

Moving forward, some things to keep in mind to reduce the number of deaths related to driving are paying attention (to yourself and your surroundings), driving responsibly without the influence of alcohol, and avoiding speeding. Additionally, wearing your seatbelt and following the rules of the road is crucial. Driving allows for freedom but with freedom this big also comes a major responsibility to yourself and others on the road. We often don’t take this into consideration but it is truly life or death and can happen in the matter of seconds.

References

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. (2015, August 13). Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets. Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, November 21). Teen drivers and passengers: Get the facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html