The Reality of Disastrous Driving

According to Forbes, more than 3,000 people die every year due to auto accidents caused by distracted driving. In the year 2020 alone, 324,652 people were injured in vehicle crashes due to distracted driving. Also, according to the CDC, drivers aged 15-19 were more likely to be distracted than drivers aged 20 and older. As a young driver myself, I feel a deep rooted responsibility to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and ways to reduce it.

As the majority of distracted driving stems from cell phone use while behind the wheel, a great way to reduce the commonality of distracted driving habits is cell phone blocking apps. These apps, such as Cell Control and LifeSaver, work with the cell phone to temporarily block notifications and messages not marked as authorized while a vehicle is in motion. Cell Control is an anti-distraction app that disables your cell phone when your speed crosses the pre-set limits. This app aims to reduce distractions for drivers, such as messages from friends, social media alerts, or access to change music preferences. LifeSaver is often installed on young drivers’ phones and is controlled by parental guardians. This app allows you to lock the driver’s device while it detects vehicle movement. Once movement is no longer detected, the phone unlocks and even sends the parent or administrator of the account notifications about phone usage and arrival locations. Other cell phone providers, including AT&T, even offer special driving modes that mute notifications for customers while on the road.

Another way to reduce the number of deaths associated with driving is education and awareness. For young drivers in training, there should be a mandated course taken by students to teach them about the reality of distracted driving, their responsibilities as a driver, and the deadly impact that distracted driving can have. According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. In these few seconds of distraction, at 55mph, the driver will travel the equivalent length of an entire football field blindly. This data shows how easily it is to be distracted as a driver, as well as the severity of this seemingly small action. As well as spreading awareness of distracted driving, defensive driving skills are also crucial for combating this problem. Although defensive driving skills do not directly attack the issue of distracted driving, they do teach drivers how to prioritize their own safety when faced with other drivers’ bad habits. Defensive driving courses focus on teaching drivers of all ages traffic laws and safe driving practices to enhance road safety and reduce accidents. These courses also teach students how to overcome negative psychological factors such as stress, fatigue, and distractions while behind the wheel. Teaching drivers how to positively react to potential encounters with distracted drivers can reduce accidents and make our roads a safer place for all citizens.

Unfortunately, my mother had a disastrous experience with a distracted driver who also had alcohol levels four times above the legal limit. On her way to work, she was hit from behind while stopped at a stop light. Although this accident was not fatal, she still deals with back pain years later related to this preventable incident. As a young driver myself, I have taken various steps to foster safe driving habits and make the roads safer for others. When operating a vehicle, I always answer any time sensitive messages, select my music playlist, and answer emails before transitioning out of park. While actively driving, I also put my cell phone in the glove box where it is out of reach to avoid the temptation of potential distractions. If I receive an urgent phone call while driving I only use the hands-free features located on my steering wheel to answer and end calls. When accelerating through an intersection as the first car in my lane, I always wait a few seconds and check each way for cars attempting to run a red light to avoid a potential accident. I have learned all of these lessons and tips for safe driving through personal experience and driver education classes. I recommend to drivers of all ages to enroll in defensive driving or driver education courses to brush up on their safe driving skills and make the road a safer place for all.

I appreciate all consideration for this scholarship, and I want to thank your organization for assisting high achieving students like myself with the resources necessary to accomplish our dreams.