Driver Education Initiative – Just Three Seconds

I
began my career at emergency communications as a 911 operator in
Lawton Oklahoma, in 2017. I went through an academy that exposed me
to the kinds of calls I would be taking, as well as the kind of radio
traffic I would be hearing from police, fire, and EMS. I do not think
any training could have prepared me enough for the kinds of calls I
would take while employed there. My most memorable calls were the
ones involving motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents. From two
horrific motorcycle accidents, to a young girl who lost control of
her vehicle in inclement weather on I-44. Having to give instructions
to control bleeding on her boyfriend who had lost a limb during the
accident. An ambulance who was on their way to a call to someone not
concousis not breathing getting into an accident with a distracted
driver delaying response to the patient and creating a new one at the
site of the accident. A young mother who fell asleep while driving
luckily her child was not in the vehicle and all she could say to me
was how thankful she was that he was not with her. I have heard it
all. I wonder if those drivers had been more knowledgeable on just
how dangerous distracted driving is if that could have saved those
people from having to endure such a horrific accident and for some
saved their lives.

When
going through my drivers ed course in my local town, it was a lot of
information crammed into two days of instruction. From instructional
videos on the huge box tv, to driving around in a honda civic with a
sign screaming “student driver”. My intruster harped on the
dangers of texting and driving, as well as drinking and driving.
There were pep assemblies held at my high school. We all wore the
special goggles. The
number of car accidents involving teens and alcohol has decreased,
because of the exposure to the dangers of drinking and driving.
However
there isn’t as much focus on overall distracted driving. For
example changing the song on a cell phone or iPod, eating, or for
some even applying makeup. Growing up in a society rich in
technology, you know scrolling through social media and texting is
dangerous, but what about all of the other distractions it seems like
isn’t being brought to the public’s attention?

The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration identifies three tasks
while driving, visual, manual and cognitive. Changing your pandora
radio station takes away from the visual task at hand. For example
someone coming to an immediate stop in front of. To change the song
on a cellphone the drivers eyes are no longer on the road. It takes
three seconds for an accident to occur, I know I cannot find the
“today’s top 40” station on spotify in under three seconds. Then
there is the manuel concept physically taking your hand or in some
cases hands off the steering wheel to change the song. Finally the
cognitive aspect. Completely shifting your attention from your
surroundings to a cell phone or ipod. Amelia Gorshing and Officer
with Lawton Police Department stated “A lost driver or a driver
changing the song on their phone very much memics a drunk driver. A
lot of times when I go to stop someone I believe to be drunk they
most of the time, are either lost or on their phone checking address,
directions or changing their music.”

If
there was more attention being brought to how dangerous overall
distracted driving is that would help in decreasing the number of
fatal accidents. More commercials would be beneficial, however
studies have shown ages 16-19 are three times more likely to be
involved in fatal car accidents. That age group most of the time is
not watching their local news channel on cable T.V. A great resource
to utilize is Youtube and Facebook ads. During the middle of a video
an advertisement video will pop up and sometimes the viewer is forced
to watch it and unable to skip through back to the video. To better
target that age group put ads about the dangers of distracted driving
in the places teenagers will see, social media. The number of car
accidents involving teens and alcohol has decreased, because of the
exposure of the dangers of drinking and driving.

I
am someone who enjoys listening to my own music while driving. I
created a playlist on my phone that I begin before I even leave my
driveway. If I am going somewhere new I make sure to have the route
mapped out beforehand so that I’m not distracted while driving. I
harp the importance of hands free to to my friends and family as
well. I have seen and heard first hand what the results are of unsafe
driving. If bringing more awareness to how dangerous just three
seconds can be to your life and those around you by a five to ten
second informative advertisement we as a nation will see a decline in
fatal accidents. 911 operators will have to make fewer calls to
survival flight medics to respond to an accident just to say we did
everything we possibly could for someone we all know probably will
not survive. Fewer crosses on the side of the road.