There is No Excuse

It is easy to be irresponsible on the road these days. With different technologies in our cars, our phones, and the busy American lifestyle, it is like they want us to multitask on the road. While I feel it is becoming more and more common, many Americans on the road did not get their license before turning 18. As a teenager, I know it is only required to take a drivers education course if you want to drive as a minor, but as an adult, you must only pass the exam. Despite the many reminders about things not to do while on the road, many don’t listen because no one is watching. If we add in another major distraction that causes problems on the road, alcohol, it only makes one realize even more that adults should educate themselves on the importance of road safety.

I am very familiar with people who suffer from alcoholism. Because of this fact, I know how it can kill and change people’s lives for the worse. My oldest cousin, while staying in my hometown for a family reunion, went out for some drinks when he realized he had no way home. Originally, a friend had promised him to stay sober and be the safe driver, but because nights out drinking can never go as planned, that did not work out. My cousin’s only opinion was to drive himself back to my aunt’s house, even though he was seriously drunk. This led to him crashing into a tree, suffering serious injuries, and getting his license revoked and suspended. People who drink and drive think that an accident could never happen to them it is “rare”, but it takes such an event for them to realize that it can happen to anybody. Young adults who are of drinking age are victims of this mindset, which I have seen from friends and family. In this digital age, the pressure online is to not be one of those “slow” drivers who go the speed limit on the left lane, and instead go over by a certain amount. I have seen posts from my local community Facebook page about how “slow” drivers are the causes of traffic and accidents, blaming those who follow the speed limit. Online pressures like these, having fun drinking and driving fast easily influence young adults to break the law, leading to them being harmed or even killed.

Many adult drivers have not taken or thought about educating themselves on driving. I have seen friends of mine go on their phones while we are on the road. It is so common to do this that, they do not see what is wrong with it. For me, the simple reason why I refuse to use my device while on the road is because it heightens my driving anxieties, but also because I am self-aware of how addicting it might get if I start getting used to using my phone while driving. People are unaware of just how many people can die from accidents every year and it becomes a “it will never happen to me” kind of thing. It would be helpful to prevent this mindset by shaming those who have it. There is a stigma placed nowadays which says that we should always think about what someone is going through first. However, truly this does not matter when what people are doing puts the lives of others in danger. Cars are the main source of transportation in all of America, so why is it not required for those driving to educate themselves a little on things they should avoid? People may be busy, have places to be, and so on, but that does not only apply to one person. It is necessary to get rid of the individualistic mindset of people so they can begin to think about others too.

The solution for this is to educate people online about the effects of distracted driving. Educators and professionals nationwide must be aware of the new digital age and the best way to express the truth. But the drivers of today also need to realize that they aren’t the only ones who have places to be. Going over the speed limit will not even get one to a destination faster, so that is not an excuse to be doing so. Educating people on this, and all the deadly causes of car accidents would give those on the road a little perspective on why it is wrong to be distracted on the road, preventing these accidents from happening so often. Rules that I have taken to be a defensive driver is not using my phone behind the wheel at all, even if I hear a message go off. I always make sure to follow the rules of the road, even when I am running late, and most importantly, I make sure my car is working well so it does not malfunction while on the road. If a 17-year-old can set up rules, so can other drivers, so we can all work to avoid a deadly accident.