How Can Roads Become Safer To Drive On?

It is no secret that drivers take their eyes off of the road for a couple of seconds, and when they regain focus, they have to slam on their brakes to prevent an accident. Those two seconds to reply to a text or to apply ketchup to fries can have unintentional consequences. It is incidents like these that have made distracted driving the number one cause of motor vehicle incidents in the United States.¹

In Texas, there are numerous laws to prevent distracted driving. For example, it is illegal to use wireless communication devices for reading and sending messages (texts, emails, etc.) while driving.² The punishment for breaking this law is a fine, but is it enough? It is impossible for police officers to pull over every single person using a phone and to prove that the phone was being used in a distracting way.³ I believe it will be difficult to make modifications to this law that will make it easier to enforce. The next best option would be to promote awareness, and more has to be done than putting statistics on a sign.

Billboards can be an excellent way to get the message across, but there has to be a shock value for the message to work. In New Zealand, there is a billboard of a child’s face, but when it rains, the child’s face becomes covered in blood. The message is terrifying to look at, but it serves as a reminder to drivers to navigate the roads safely in inclement weather. The Paparuka District Council has claimed that in 2009 there have been zero deaths since the billboard went up.⁴ If a similar, if not the exact, billboard can be placed in the United States, there is a chance that vehicular incidents can be reduced.

I am fortunate to say that I have never been in a car accident in my eight years of driving. However, I have been in a near accident and witness ignorant drivers every day. One night, my best friend was driving me back to my house after hanging out that day. She slowly approached a red light and drove into the turning lane. Our light turned green and she immediately pressed on the accelerator, but someone decided to run their red light and the light flashed from our eyes. They were coming directly at us. Thankfully, my friend saw this person quickly approaching and reacted in time to avoid a collision.

People take risks everyday, and I wince every time I see them. Things like weaving in and out of lanes, merging into traffic with cars quickly approaching, and not being cognizant of truck’s blind spots are all things that seem to have insignificant consequences at the time. If one thing goes wrong, like a truck not being able to see the person next to them, then it can cost way more than being patient.

I had to reiterate to my friend that it is imperative to wait at least 3 seconds before driving off at a green light. When I drive, I drive for myself and others on the road to keep everyone safe. For example, I prefer to make a queue in my music app before I embark on my destination. That way I do not have to touch my phone to choose a song, it is already playing next. I have also trained myself to notice when someone wants to merge into my lane or another without a turn signal. Usually, the car will get very close to the far right or far left of their lane, depending on where they are trying to move. Nine times out of then, they merge. Another practice I have is to utilize my passenger’s help as much as I can. I need the GPS, I will ask them to enter the address. If I need to merge onto the freeway or to check a blind spot, I will ask them to give me a second opinion to confirm it is safe to proceed. Lastly, I always take indicator signals with a grain of salt. The car could be indicating that they are turning right at an intersection, making the lane clear to merge onto, but that is not the case. Because of that, I will wait until the last minute before turning right at an intersection because drivers will have their indicator on without realizing it. There are a plethora of ways to safely accomplish any side tasks that need to be done while behind the wheel.

Motor accidents and crashes are completely preventable.⁵ Americans have a civic responsibility to protect public spaces and to follow the laws. It is time we took these responsibilities more seriously.