The Need for Safer Driving

The use of motor vehicles to travel, also known as driving, was created to travel to areas that are too far away to walk to. Driving can be dangerous if the driver is not giving their full attention to the road and their surroundings. For example, I have been in the car when the driver has been distracted by their mobile device. This is a dangerous situation because should an accident happen, the outcome will be worse than if the driver was not distracted. By being distracted, by a mobile device or something else, the accident could be much worse. While I have never been harmed while being in a situation like this, many other people have. Some were just in small accidents with minimal injuries, but others have been severely injured or have lost their lives. The drivers responsible for these accidents have had to pay serious fines or jail time as a repercussion of their decisions. The repercussions of distracted driving tend to be severe, and many are not ready to deal with them. By introducing safe driving techniques, we will reduce the number of deaths and injuries from distracted driving.

A key step to reducing the number of deaths and injuries from distracted driving is to educate drivers. Many do not know what consequences their actions have when it comes to potential victims of an accident. First, we need to explain what actions will lead to distracted driving. Using a mobile device, messing with controls in the car, and admiring the scenery are just a few instances where drivers become distracted. Once these are understood, we move on to strategies that will minimize distractions for drivers. A few of these include setting all the controls before leaving, asking a passenger to adjust any controls, and having any needed items within reach. Once these strategies become habits, drivers will be safer and more alert on the roads. While accidents will still happen, drivers that employ these strategies will be less likely to cause one. As the number of accidents decreases, the number of deaths from car accidents will decrease as well.

Another way to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the road is to create new traffic laws and enforce the ones already in place. The laws themselves will not completely stop drivers from becoming distracted, but the repercussions associated with these laws will greatly decrease the number of drivers who choose to distract themselves. No one wants to spend their precious time doing community service or spend their hard-earned money on a fine. By using these punishments for breaking a law, people are less likely to perform the actions that will lead to these consequences.

A very influential strategy to persuade people to drive safely is appealing to a person’s emotions. This is a combination of educational tactics and influential repercussions to one’s actions. One’s emotions are evoked through a story or series of stories. These stories tend to be scary and extreme in order to provoke some sadness and fear when it comes to what can happen in a car accident. For example, when I was learning how to drive, my instructor appealed to my fear of potentially hurting a family member while driving. Not only did I want to avoid hurting myself, but I also wanted to avoid hurting my family members as well. This one story influenced me to put more focus into protecting my loved ones and ultimately forced me to be a safer driver. Appealing to a driver’s emotions as my instructor did for me is a very easy way to persuade drivers to practice safe driving techniques.

There is only so much influence the education of drivers can do to decrease the number of accidents and deaths from distracted driving. At some point, there must be leaders that can be examples for others to follow. I have been fortunate to have experience being a leader in my local community. Through these experiences, I have realized that leading by example is the best strategy to influence those around you. I plan to use these safe driving strategies in my life and will show others how they help to create a safer traveling experience. I also plan on explaining to people in my life how important practicing safe driving techniques is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by distracted driving. By doing this, I hope to help be a member of the team that will reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by distracted driving.