Distracted Driving is Dangerous Driving

Wedding nights are always crazy. The ride to the wedding after-party was almost disastrous when my 17-year old cousin drove 3 of my aunts and uncles, a baby, and two kids including my 13-year old self to a hotel. At a glance, this doesn’t seem so bad. But when you take into account the fact that the adults in the car were drunk, the baby had no car seat, the children had no booster seats, and it was about 2 a.m., the situation becomes concerning. Illegal. It was during this car ride that I understood the dangers that distractions on the road could bring. The loudness of the drunk adults, the crying baby, the confusing GPS instructions and the fussy children almost caused my cousin to run a red light. I clearly remember being launched forward, my seatbelt holding me back as the car lurched to a stop almost midway into the intersection. The car, suddenly quiet as a couple vehicles passed the intersection, angrily honking. From there, the car ride was mostly silent. The gloom of the “almost accident” hung heavy in the car. Distracted, irresponsible driving almost ended that wedding night in a tragic accident.

Because of that close-call wedding night, I have known that distractions can be more than just your cell phone. Loud noises, passenger conversation, GPS guidance, and even your own emotions can all fall under the umbrella of distractions when driving. In the case of the wedding night ride, it was all at once.

It is not a surprise that the leading cause of death among teenagers and young adults is car related accidents. I know that the teenage dream is all about getting the license, driving with friends, and endless Starbucks runs, because it too was my teen dream. As I keep seeing on the news and online the accidents that result in death or life-changing injuries to teens I shy away more and more from that dream. I’ve come to realize that the reason behind these accidents isn’t lack of driving knowledge, it’s the pressure to live this teen dream. The driver must be aware of the road at all times. Things like loud music can be distracting. The driver must follow safe driving habits. Things like peer pressure can influence behavior that can lead to consequences. The driver holds all the responsibility and I think it is this specific fact that needs to be made aware to all teens in order to reduce the number of accidents on the road.

In addition to awareness, an instruction guide is key. Like in many things, an instruction guide is meant to prepare you to safely handle something while getting the intended use out of it. Just like trying to dive off of a swimming board inexperienced can be scary and lead to accidents, driving a car without getting drivers education can lead to devastation. The drivers education courses are there to teach you about the road. In addition to learning the laws of the roads, signs, and lanes, it also gives you hands-on experience. The best way to learn is by trying and on top of that, driver’s education places you in a role of responsibility. For me, that feeling of being in control of a 3000 pound machine was the most important part of drivers education. I think that on top of teaching you the ways of the road, driver’s education helps bring to light the seriousness of driving. The importance of awareness. It makes you accountable for the power you hold in the car and how without the proper control that power can slip from you. The more you know, the more prepared you’ll be for the situations you encounter on the streets and the more likely you are to avoid accidents. You don’t want to dive and land a belly flop.

Being one of the first of my friend group to get my license and start to drive, I take steps to become a role model for my friends. I text before I leave my house and place my phone away from sight. I keep the volume levels in my car at a normal range. Seatbelts are uncool? Not in my car. I only change the radio station when at a red light or my passenger switches it for me. When using GPS, I make sure that the GPS is hands free. Whenever I drive my friends, they ask me questions about the road and I answer as correctly as I can. I think that seeing me drive safely and be well informed about the rules of the road gives them a good example to look to as they start their driving journey.

It takes responsibility and knowledge to be able to drive safely. I hope one day the power the teen dream has on young drivers will be overcome by the sense of responsibility or, share its hold on a young teen. At the end of the day, safe Starbucks runs are totally possible.