Name: John Denning
From: Orlando, Florida
Votes: 0
As
I sat within the backseat of my dad’s car, I felt it pull towards
the center turn lane, and slow to a stop. An opportunity to turn
would not arrive before we were rear-ended, the car hitting us as it
too was rear-ended. We had just been hit by a car that had been hit
by another car, and that other car’s driver had been looking down.
Looking down at his phone.
When
we drive, our primary goal, aside from reaching our destination, is
driving safely. Operating a vehicle demands a significant amount of
cognitive performance, and our conscious cognition is limited to an
individual task. When driving distractedly, we are unable to drive
safely, putting not only ourselves but also everyone else on the road
at risk for danger or harm.
In
the age of distraction, there are so many opportunities to be
disengaged from driving, so many minutes of possible productivity
lost to commute. But it is critically important to understand the
extent at which the temporary disengagement from our phones or work
become more valuable than driving safely, and simply put, that
threshold does not exist. Losing a life is not worth those lost
minutes, or the wait to view a message.
There
is so much we can do to reduce the amount of driving related deaths.
Drivers ed is fundamental to any individual who wants to drive,
because it provides an understanding of safe driving practices and
their many benefits. As someone who has not only taken drivers’
education for my permit and license, but also additional courses for
insurance purposes, I have gained new insights and perspectives about
safe driving that I would otherwise never have had. Knowing that
people have lost their closest friends or family members because of
unsafe driving practices has inspired me to critically question my
own driving practices and work towards improving them—something we
all could to do reduce the amount of deaths.
Turning
off your phone, or even putting it on silent or in the backseat as
you drive, can help reduce the urge to pick it up and keep you
focused on the road. From a policy perspective, local leaders
implementing new strategies or incentives can encourage safe driving,
and reduce the thousands of avoidable deaths from dangerous driving.
When
trying to become a better driver, it is essential to analyze your
driving skills as objectively as possible. Having someone you trust
give constructive feedback, or even recognition of one’s own
potentially unsafe driving practices, is the first step in improving.
From there, you can actively work towards becoming a better driver,
and encourage others to follow suit. Whether that means coming to
full stops for three seconds, driving with your lights on during the
rain, using signals more consistently, or staying off your phone,
taking steps to be a more conscious, concerned driver will ultimately
make the road safer for you and for everyone else on it.
