Distracted Driving: It’s Not Worth It

I remember the day when I sat behind the wheel of a car for the first time. I felt the smoothness of the steering wheel beneath my fingers, my knuckles white from gripping it a little too tightly. I turned the key, hearing the engine come alive, and then I was off. Moving slowly through the empty parking lot, I experienced the freedom that a car brings to people’s lives.

As I gained confidence driving around this lot, I decided it was time to hit actual roads. I was initially fearful, because driving on an actual road meant that I would have to increase my speed. If I hit someone or something, I risked doing them harm. Since I was younger, I have always had an immense love for all animals and making sure they remain safe and healthy is my purpose in life. Therefore, becoming a veterinarian, making a positive difference in the lives of all animals, is my dream and it would be devasting if I were to hit or kill a helpless animal due to my own actions. In fact, it pains me as to how many roadkill I see, blood spattered everywhere with crows picking off what they want. I never want to put myself in a position where a life could have been preserved had I been more responsible for my actions behind the wheel. This is why I believe that driving isn’t a right, rather it’s a privilege.

However, I have borne witness to people abusing this privilege. Consider the following hypothetical scenario.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

The screen of Becca’s phone lights up each time she receives a text message. While hearing this noise, her eyes turn from the road to her device. Just in a few seconds of turning away, a fawn walks out of the forest and onto the road when following in its mother’s footsteps. Becca is too distracted by her phone to notice this and as a result…

Bang.

In that second, an angel received its wings as the fawn’s body lay mangled on the road. Bones bent. Blood everywhere. Loss of a life.

Distracted driving ended the life of a baby animal, and it could have been prevented had Becca paid attention to the road.

Of great importance is driver education to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. I know that I can never trust anyone on the road, so I am the one who must be proactive and responsible for my actions. For all I know, drivers around me could be drunk and/or distracted. The unknown leads me to be even more attentive and focused on my own driving and less dependent on that of others whom I cannot control. I have also realized how common it is for people to consume a few alcoholic drinks, feel sober, and choose to drive their vehicle home. This reckless decision could result in the death of a human or animal. As I turned 21 years old, my parents immediately lectured me as to the consequences of distracted and drunk driving, and their words resonated with me. They told me the following hypothetical scenarios.

Imagine your parents sitting on the couch watching TV at home while you are out picking up groceries at the store. They are enjoying the evening together but there is concern on their faces. This is the first time that you have driven alone since passing your driving test, however, your parents trust that you will be responsible for your own actions. In fact, they have educated you themselves as to the many responsibilities that drivers have and have taught you how to drive safely. While on the way to the store, you notice a car approaching you in the rearview mirror, moving faster than the speed limit. Right as the car is about to ram into you from behind, you swerve off the road to avoid the impending collision.

Holy cow!

You just experienced the effects of someone’s drunk driving but luckily you remembered the lesson taught to you by your parents. They educated you to be aware of your surroundings, trust no one, and maintain quick reflexes. These lessons potentially saved your life.

Cami, you know we are all too aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Just watch the countless news reports that show totaled cars due to the driver looking at something other than the road. Your father was the unfortunate victim of distracted driving.

Don’t you remember?

He was driving home after a day of fishing and the time was approximately 1:00 am. There were not many cars on the road but as your father got closer to home, a lady, who was distracted by her phone, drove out of a parking lot into his boat trailer. Luckily, your father was not speeding, therefore the impact did not cause him serious injury. The cops eventually arrived on the scene and after some time, the lady offered to pay the damage inflicted to the boat trailer.

But Cami, listen closely to this next part. The lady admitted that she had been looking at her phone, never even noticing your father. While nobody was seriously hurt, I hope you have learned that distracted driving is dangerous. Anything can happen in a split second of carelessness, so please be careful and make responsible decisions.

I’m glad that my father was safe, but I’m also disappointed in the actions of the lady that hit his boat trailer. Why was she looking at her phone? It confuses me as to how someone could be parked and right when they begin to drive away, they pick up their phone. Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to use your device when the car is off? I hope that drivers can begin to understand the impact of their actions because sometimes it not only affects you but also others. Phone use is a major contributor to car accidents and if there are laws that regulate its use for drivers, potential catastrophes can be prevented. Hopefully, no one will have to go through what my father had to.

To encourage driver safety, education is key, whether that be from family, friends, teachers, the government, and/or the public sector. Driver education programs can provide drivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive safely and responsibly. The programs can teach drivers strategies to avoid distracted and drunk driving, while emphasizing ways to avoid dangerous behaviors. Through education, people can become more cognizant of the risks associated with operating a motor vehicle and this can help them make smarter decisions and reduce preventable accidents and/or deaths Ultimately, I believe that education increases awareness and when people are made aware of problems, solutions can be created. Education can lead to the collaboration of people from various areas coming together to solve a widespread problem.

For me, I prefer to learn the hard facts and statistics and don’t want anything sugar coated. I want to be able to look at the situation in front of me and ponder potential solutions because I can enact change. I believe that I can make an impact, however small, to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One change that I envision is equipping cars with breathalyzers. The steering wheel could contain a built-in sensor that analyzes the air that we breathe out. In this way, the alcohol level in our breath would be assessed passively, without our intent focus. If the sensor detects levels that are in the illegal range, then the car could either signal for you to pull over or even contain the option for you to call for help. A friend, family member, or Uber could then pick you up, ensuring safety for you and the surrounding populace. Maybe the car itself wouldn’t start if it detected alcohol levels over the legal limit. Of course, the realization of this vision coming to fruition is slim, but I believe that vehicle construction must be re-examined. There are many safety features in cars, such as rear cameras, lane warnings, automatic emergency braking systems, and auto-pilot, but none that protect drivers from alcohol intoxication.

Furthermore, I believe that current laws and regulations have not proven effective in decreasing or drastically altering the number of people killed by distracted and drunk drivers, so more invasive measures must be enacted. For example, I could go to my local government and petition for safer roads and mandated education programs. The key would be to design a safer system. Additional implementations could include reducing the speed limit, repaving roads, adding stop signs or traffic lights, reducing slip while increasing road friction, maintaining good road qualities, and prohibiting the use of handheld devices when driving. While all these solutions are appropriate, I believe I have discovered more areas that need re-examined. Instead of thinking of the road or of the drivers themselves, what if focus was placed on the surrounding environment. Changes could include reducing the number of roads that permit cars and redesigning land use patterns. This would lessen the number of pedestrians or animals near the road, which could contribute to fewer deaths. Of course, these solutions would lead to nowhere if they are implemented but not enforced. This means there must be consequences for breaking the rules, but I believe this topic is outside my powers.

Additionally, I personally can take steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One simple way to do this is by wearing a seatbelt. In the event of an accident, the seatbelt will be one additional layer of protection that can reduce serious injuries. I can drive sober, put away distracting devices, limit the number of passengers, drive the speed limit, and remain up to date on the current driving laws and regulations. As a fellow driver, I believe that we all have a duty to ourselves and to every other living being on this planet to protect them. I do not want to run the risk of killing an animal or person, especially when it is preventable. I can use my own knowledge to educate others on what it takes to become a safer driver. For example, my cousin is four years old and won’t be driving for some time, but learning never ends. From a young age, I can begin to teach him about driver safety both on and around the road. This could look like instructing him on the safe way to cross a street, how to walk in a crosswalk, and modeling the proper way to wear a seatbelt. I believe that these lessons are not too advanced for a four-year-old and from here, my cousin has a foundation from which to build upon. Therefore, when he turns the legal driving age, he will already possess skills and knowledge that will make him a safer driver. Safer drivers will contribute to reducing the number of deaths associated with distracted and/or drunk driving.

Ultimately, I believe driving is not a right but a privilege. This honor can be taken away form you at any moment because negligence and/or poor decisions have consequences. Driving gives us newfound freedom and the ability to let your hair down and feel the breeze on your face. It allows you the chance to go fast or slow, but driving can also kill the ones we love. Being distracted or drunk while driving significantly increases the chances of harm to yourself and to others. God forbid if you did hit a person or animal, how could you live with yourself afterwards? The guilt I would face would be too overbearing to deal with when the situation could have been avoided had more intensive safety measures been put into effect. Therefore, when I get behind the wheel to drive, I picture the important people and animals in my life and imagine them gone. I tell myself that this is what will happen if choose to drive distracted or drunk. If my phone rings, I won’t pick it up because it increases the chances of a preventable accident. I will continue to look at the road in front of and surrounding me, ignoring distracting objects. I will always remember that all lives are precious and distracted and/or drunk driving is just not worth it.