Distracted Driving

According to Forbes.com, approximately three thousand people die in car accidents every year because of distracted drivers. In the year 2020, three thousand and one hundred forty two people’s lives were cut short because of this. Furthermore, there were two thousand and eight hundred eighty fatal car crashes in this same year as well. 

Driver education is extremely important and can help lower the number of deaths related to driving. When I was in high school, I took a driving course. It covered everything from the meanings of signs and the symbols on the road to how to be a defensive driver. Knowing the rules of the road helps significantly when one is driving. That way you are not a hazard to yourself or others on the road. I have yet to be in an accident and I owe that to the education I received covering driver safety. 

I got my driver’s license last summer. Since then, I have developed a sort of routine that happens every time I drive somewhere. First, I put on my seat belt. Second, I put on the GPS and third, I put on music. I have noticed, though, that if I forget to adjust the mirrors or my seat then I will do so while I am driving. If I forget to put on the air conditioning or the heater then I will also do so while I am driving and of course, if I don’t like the song playing I will reach over to change it. 

Because I just got my license recently, I have sat in cars while other people would drive many many times. This includes when I was a child and my parents would set the example of what an adult does while driving. Unfortunately, seeing them drive and doing “normal” things while being behind the wheel like eating, talking, and fumbling with various objects in their hands really made those distractions seem like a normal thing to do.

In reality, this should not be the norm. After looking at the statistics, I have realized how important it is to get situated before one starts driving. This is essential for my own safety as well as the safety of the other people I share the road with. I realize now that before I put my foot on the accelerator, I need to make sure my seatbelt is on, that my mirrors and seat are adjusted to my preference, and that the GPS is already set up. Also, not to let the music on my phone become a distraction.

Our phones have become a big part of our lives. They are almost constantly in our hands. Whether it’s to stay in contact with friends or even to work from your phone, they can be a distraction. It is important to not let our devices take our attention from our vehicles and the road in front of us. One step to avoid this happening might be to silence our phones or to put our phones out of reach while driving. I tend to use the GPS on my phone quite frequently.  So, I can silence my group conversations so they won’t pop up on the screen over the directions and potentially cause a distraction. 

I also find that while I am driving, things on the side of the road can snag my attention. I love flowers. I recall a time, while I was driving, when these especially beautiful flowers on the side of the road caught my attention and I let my eyes leave the road for a second too long. When I faced the street again, I had to break abruptly to avoid the car in front of me.

Our eyes are naturally drawn to movement and bright colors. This means that we can’t help but look at things that catch our attention along the road. It is not something we can control. However, how long we look is absolutely in our control. It is important to recover immediately If our eyes leave the road. If I had put this into practice, I wouldn’t have had to break so fast in order to keep a collision from happening. 

Sometimes, accidents can happen not from our own distraction but the distraction of others. One tip I have learned to do, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, is to wait a couple of seconds after the light turns green before proceeding forward in an intersection. That way, if someone is not focusing and runs a red light, you could avoid being in a wreck. 

Driving while not remaining vigilant is extremely dangerous and for three thousand people a year it is fatal. As a collective, we don’t think small “normal” things like eating the burrito from the taco bell drive thru or fumbling with the a/c could end in a crash. I know now this is not the case. As I drive, I will do my best to practice vigilant driving and to get completely settled before I push down on the gas pedal. I encourage you to do this as well. If we all followed steps to drive safer maybe we could get the statistics on Forbes.com down significantly.