In this generation, newer technology is releasing along with newer car models which have many new features for the usage of mobile phones. In my personal opinion, new model vehicles with phone features makes the texting and driving problem worse than it already was. Even with “text-to-speak”, its still suggesting that people lose focus from driving to message someone back or switch their music etc. my own experiences with driving have been limited because of the use of my phone while driving. Typically before i had gotten in my accident, i would completely go against using my phone even for directions or music unless i was in a parked state. Once I was driving back to my school from being at home for the weekend, which was only a two hour drive, and I grabbed my phone to change songs, on most mobile phones its just the skip button so to me at the time it wasnt that big of a task. The road I was on was only a straight road, no turns or curves or stops at all. I had an older vehicle so it didnt have any of the mobile phone features as a new car would have. I grabbed my phone out of the front cup holders and tried to change my music when I unknowingly ran over debris and popped one out my back tires causing my car to hydroplane directly into the side of a semi-truck. Luckily, the only thing “injured” was the car, which was totaled. Now that my car is no longer drivable, I carpool with my friends or co-workers when it’s eligible. Sometimes I see them doing the same thing i was doing before i had gotten into my accident. Im sure its just slight PTSD, but i advise them not to go on their phone at all while driving, not only for thier safety but for the safety of their passengers or others on the road.
This leads me to think about some of the features that our mobile phones do have to fix that problem. Im not entirely sure about android phones, but I’m aware of the driving focus feature that iPhone’s have. I think the equivalent is “Do Not Disturb”. For iPhones, the driving focus makes sure you can't receive any notifications or calls while you’re connected to the bluetooth in your car. Now if the bluetooth isn’t connected, theres no way your phone can recognize you’re driving. Do Not Disturb does more or less of the same thing, but it would be easier to open up your phone to make a response to a text or to type something in your search engine for a new song. A better overall solution to fix the problem of texting and driving is to discipline yourself to not have that urge to quickly respond to a text or have a playlist set up whilst in park. I will agree with some and say it's difficult to force discipline on yourself, but slow progress is still progress. Other than my accident, what led me to want to be better at becoming a good driver for the sake of others is the newer generations after me. Im not too sure what kind of technology will come out when this generation of kids become adults, but the prime learning stage is when you’re young. So, teaching kids whats right from wrong when they learn to drive is bound to be essential. If kids are seen to use their phone a lot by their parents or their adult, they’re going to eventually think it's okay to do so in the future.
The world doesn’t evolve around your phone so it’ll be okay if you take some time off of it and focus on your driving. Its okay to miss a call for the sake of your life and others on the road. Its okay to listen to that song you really don’t want to listen to, it might be a really old song you aren’t listened to in a while. Being the most aware of your surroundings is the most important thing you could do in that moment. Driving is one of the most dangerous tasks one could do, especially if you’re under the influence which is an entirely different problem, but if you’re aware enough of your surroundings, if would be easier to recognize when things are about to go wrong. Mobile phones aren’t the only distraction that occurs when driving, there could also be passengers, pets, your own personal distractions or even food. Sometimes when people are driving for long hours and they make a pit stop to grab something to eat and continue driving, actively eating while doing that is a hard task when there isn’t any passengers. Overall, driving is a very dangerous task, and many people lose their lives from either side of the stick, being the distracted and the victim, so keeping your distractions at a minimum is the safest way to go about getting to destination to destination.