A Proposal to Decrease Distracted Driving

A car is a two-ton battering ram barrelling down the interstate at 70 miles per hour and capable of destroying anything it comes in contact with. Many Americans treat vehicles like a simple luxury and while inside, the driver is invincible. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and every year tens of thousands of individuals die from motor vehicle accidents. In the past decade, the number of individuals who have died has steadily increased. The primary reason for this trend is distracted driving. It is important to educate drivers on the potential dark side of driving a car because many accidents can be avoided. Many accidents occur within a few seconds of looking away from the road for any reason. It is important to educate drivers on these facts so that they can be more attentive while driving and reduce easily preventable accidents.

As technology improves and becomes more user-friendly, users are encouraged to bring their screens everywhere, including in their cars. Today almost every car comes with a built-in screen, a feature that is helpful but has since come with its negative effects. As individuals drive their cars they get notifications that they received a text, can ask the car what the text says, and respond. Drivers can do all of this while looking at the road but that does not mean they are paying attention to the road. Drivers need to be encouraged to pay attention to the road while driving to keep themselves and those around them safe. Drivers should be reminded that they are operating a dangerous vehicle that can cause lots of damage. Keeping your eyes on the road is not enough, a driver must keep their mind on the road. Laws permit drivers over the age of 18 to use hands-free devices while driving. Although I do not believe that we should strip drivers of these technologies, it is important to inform people that vehicles carry an inherently high risk. Nearly twice as many people die from motor vehicle accidents than from gun-related incidents (excluding suicide). People acknowledge that a gun is a very dangerous tool that can be used to take a life and would never operate one haphazardly, yet that is what many drivers do. An ad campaign is a great way to encourage people to be attentive to the road. The campaign could show that on a busy highway, a split second can change everything. When it comes to performing preventative actions many people do not believe that something bad can happen to them. This campaign should show how everyone around the driver is affected by their decision to not be attentive to the road. Most people do not fear the risk with themselves, but how their mom, dad, sister, brother, or friend would be affected would be a substantially more powerful message. The ad could show multiple people in a car and the driver gets a text, the driver grabs the phone and looks at the text. At that moment the car in front of them slams on their brakes and the driver is not able to react in time. Cuts to black and shows the driver in a suit with a bruise and bandaid on their face. The camera pans and shows the passenger’s picture and a coffin. Text appears on the screen and says “it’s not just you at risk” “Pay attention to the road.” A well-executed ad campaign informing viewers of the dangers of driving distracted and how a few seconds can be the difference between a close call or a funeral. This type of ad would be remembered and get a strong message to many Americans about how accidents can happen at any time and it is important to pay attention while driving.

I was in an accident that could have easily killed me, had I not reacted in time. It was 4:30 a.m. and I was doing my daily routine of going to the gym. At the time I was working full-time and a full-time student. I was exhausted like most mornings and thought nothing of it. I do not remember the 15-minute drive to the gym only a thump. My driver-side tires went over the curb and I was heading toward a parked snowplow. I corrected, turning the steering wheel right, just in time. Instead of smashing head-on to a 10-ton snow plow, the bucket scrapped along the cabin of my car, tearing the wheels out from the wheel well, shattering the leaf springs, and disconnecting the driveshaft. The car was completely totaled, but I was miraculously unharmed. Ever since then I always make sure to be fully attentive when I drive and do whatever I can to prevent myself from driving tired. To prevent this from happening I make sure I wake up a little earlier than when I need to leave, this allows my body to wake up so I can be fully cognitive of the road. I also encourage others to never drive tired or distracted in any way, because it only takes a second for road conditions to shift and drive to work change to an emergency room visit.