Name: Grace Schuler
From: Philadelphia, PA
Votes: 0
DMV Safe Driving Scholarship Essay Driven to Distraction
By
Grace Schuler; 30 Walker Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, USA; Phone
301-518-4755; Email [email protected].
April
11, 2017. I started the day off great with a college visit and ended
it watching my older brother get wheeled into the operating room
about to undergo neurosurgery for a traumatic brain injury he
received when hit by a car driven by a distracted driver. My brother
left the house that morning a college-recruited athlete a month away
from graduating high school and ended it with a 50% chance of
survival. And while he did make it through, it has come at a great
cost to himself and our family over the past two and a half years.
Since
2009, Maryland
has banned
texting while driving. All drivers are prohibited from writing or
sending text messages while operating a motor vehicle. This is one
of the first lessons taught by any driving school in the area.
Currently
in Maryland, the distracted driving fine for first-time offenders is
$83. A second offense can cost $140, and a third offense is $160.
There are also additional costs related to court proceedings, as well
as points on your driving record. And should you injure or kill
someone while you are using a handheld device, thanks to Jakes Law
(named after five-year-old Jake Owen who was killed by a driver who
was texting and talking), you will be fined up to $5,000 and receive
three years in jail. Last March, Maryland lawmakers approved a bill
that increases the maximum fine for texting while driving to $500.
Over
the last five years in my Maryland county alone (Montgomery), five
teenagers have been killed and at least 292 teen pedestrians have
been hit by cars due to the drivers texting or being otherwise
distracted. Last April, as part of educating all drivers, the county
instituted the Stay Alert. Stay Alive campaign (see following
page) directed at both distracted drivers and pedestrians and
bicyclists to try to combat the problem.
I
think a great solution for reducing the risk would be an invention to
help lower the temptation to drive while distracted. I believe
installing a device similar to the ignition interlock breathalyzer
that would prevent your car from starting until you listened
to/viewed the following check list could be helpful.
I
would like to propose the following as a possible solution for
keeping pedestrians safer:
PROPOSED
DISTRACTED DRIVING DEVICE Starts when key is put in ignition:
AUDIO:
DO
NOT THINK OF DRIVING THIS CAR IF YOU:
Have
consumed alcohol;
Are
tired;
Plan
to text or talk without a hands-free device;
Are
going to eat, drink or play with your radio.
IF
YOU CANT BE RESPONSIBLE, DONT DRIVE!
VIDEO:
As
the check list is being read, a series of Street
Smart
ads similar to the following would be rotating on the screen:
While
I am not sure that a specific invention or device can make someone
take more personal responsibility, I do believe being acutely aware
of the causes of distracted driving and paying the price for not
following the rules are keys to stopping the problem.
I
invite you to click here to see a video that shares some of my
brothers story. It is an essay he wrote to honor his principal who
helped him during his year of acute rehab due to the injuries
suffered from a distracted driver:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5hR40cqJFSA
