Dangers of Distracted Driving

Life is one of the greatest gifts we are ever given, yet too often we forget to cherish it. In the whirlwind of our daily routines and responsibilities, it is so easy for us to overlook the wonder of being alive. However, when we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, we are able to truly able to appreciate the little things we take for granted such as each breath we are able to take, every conversation with another person and every moment spent with loved ones. I guess what I am trying to say is that life is precious, and we need to be more aware of how lucky we are to be able to experience it every single day.

I remember a time when I was still serving in Singapore’s military, I was facing a particularly difficult week. We were out in the field for a span of 4 days and on the first night we were hit by a thunderstorm. Hiding in my basha, I felt that I was so unlucky to be drenched and have all my clothes for the next few days get wet. Being taller than average, the space under the basha was not enough for me to fit under and I had to spend the night with my legs out in the rain. As I tried to will myself to sleep that night, I thought to myself, “I regret ever coming to serve” and “I can’t wait to go back home”. Little did I know, the storm would continue until the second night and flood my basha. With everything I owned soaked after 2 excruciatingly long nights, my morale was low, but I pushed through until the fourth day came and we were finally able to return to camp.

Grateful to finally be able to take a proper shower and dry my belongings, I was ready to rant at my friends about how bad my week was. That was until a battalion meeting was called and it was there, I heard the news. While we were out in the field doing drills and complaining about a storm, a young man lost his life due to an incident involving a Terrex, an armored vehicle. From what we were told, the young man was driving a jeep-like vehicle behind the Terrex. He had only recently started his driving course and his superior, who was in the passenger seat, dismissed safety precautions that were supposed to be followed as he was on his phone and caused him to drive too close to the Terrex which was in front of them. For whatever reason, the Terrex needed to back up and due to his inexperience, the young driver was unable to put the jeep in reverse to get out of the way. The Terrex proceeded to crush the right side of the vehicle along with the driver.

Although I did not know him personally, hearing the story gave me a jolt and made me realize how fortunate I was to be able to have gone through a bad week and make it back safe at the end of the day. It broke my heart when I saw the young driver’s parents come down to the camp and talk to us, telling us not to take our lives for granted and that there are people in our lives that would break down if we were to lose our lives. Seeing them try to be strong for their son and give us advice while tears stream down their face in grief really put things into perspective for me.

This is why I believe it is of paramount importance that people understand the dangers of driving while distracted. In order to fulfil that goal, I believe that to obtain one’s driving license they should be required to watch a short video that would show not only the dangers of driving distracted but the consequences and aftereffects of it as well. This short video should contain images of crashes that have occurred due to negligence of one or more drivers and more importantly messages from the loved ones of the victims. It is important for the victims’ loved ones to be diverse and different in terms of ethnicity, background and relationship. This would be done so that people from any demographic would be able to empathize with what they see on screen and to have a more lasting impact on them. It is unfortunate that there have been people who have lost their lives to distracted driving and that there are people who are hurting to this day because of it, however, with their consent, we would be able to reach out to all new drivers, bringing awareness to the dangers and consequences of distracted driving without needing them to have to go through the same traumatizing event to understand the gravity of this issue.

To further address this issue amongst the younger community, a solution that would appeal to the younger generation may be more appropriate. With the advancements of technology, it would be easy for a mobile device to track the speed and location of individuals when they are driving. For example, a game that came out in 2016, “Pokemon Go”, was able to tell if the individual playing the game was going too fast and would warn users that they should not be driving and using their mobile devices at the same time. I have derived a strategy based on this theory but instead of just a warning, it would provide incentives for those who do not use their phone while driving. An example of an incentive that could appeal to the younger generation would be discounts off gas or food vouchers. This could help build positive habits by helping young drivers stay off their phones while driving.

I chose this scholarship because its message resonated with me deeply. The idea that we need to look out for one another, share our experiences, and guide future generations is something I truly believe in. Life is fragile, and it is our responsibility to cherish every moment while also learning from our past mistakes. By sharing our journeys, we help others avoid pitfalls, grow stronger, and ultimately create a better future. I am committed to passing on the wisdom I’ve gained, and this scholarship will allow me to continue my education, furthering my ability to contribute positively to the community and inspire the next generation to live fully and wisely.