Name: Kamau Juma Christian Jr.
From: Upper Marlboro, MD
Votes: 0
Imagine
your in the driver’s seat, and you stop at a red light. You see
someone else across from you looking at their phone. You immediately
start thinking of all the texting while driving ads you’ve seen and
you get upset. You actually go as far to honk at the car next to you
and gesture the driver to put down their phone, and they comply.
Ounce the light turns green you go your separate ways and you start
to feel good about yourself. So good in fact you pick up your phone
and start to text your friends what just happened. NO! No way right?
No one is that hypocritical. Well this is one true example of
irresponsible driving that I’ve been witnessed.
Understanding
the gravity of the responsibility one takes on when becoming a driver
is very important. It is not something to be taken lightly. Sharing
this knowledge is important to change, because just like in the story
I’ve told you. People’s hearts are in the right place, it’s just a
matter of getting people to understand their part. Teaching future
drivers the top causes of accidents and understanding that it is
their responsibility not to make these same mistakes because their
lives as well as others are at stake.
Understanding
why drivers get into accidents should help us to prevent them. We
know driving under the influence is a number one case. So making
alternative transportation more accessible could prove successful.
Providing 24 hour buses, more ways to call yourself a ride like uber
and lyft. Establishments should be able to take customers car keys
and not returning them unless its to a sober customer. We also know
that technology is a distraction on the road and there have been
several attempts to rectify this, yet its still an issue. So if
people can’t resist the urge to use technology while driving. Then
there must be a way to temporarily deactivate a drivers phone. This
should be as simple as turning your phone off or setting it to do not
disturb, but recent studies have shown that it’s not enough.
Something more must be done in order to dampen the technological
distraction.
I
know what steps I can take to make the road safer, being an example.
Unlike my friend in the story I’ve shared I want to take my own
advice. Turning my phone off when I get into the driver’s seat and
giving my full attention to the road at all times is me doing my part
as a driver. No one wants anyone to get hurt, so making good driving
habits “the norm” is one of the best ways to spread safety.
Especially for new drivers! Holding fast to your own good habits and
doing your part as a driver is doing your part. Sending the text
“sorry I was driving” after arriving to your destination can go a
long way. We have the responsibility.
