Staying Alive: The Dangers of Distracted Driving

12:17 “Where are you? It’s 12:17.”

12:17 “You’re way past curfew.”

12:17 “Sorry Mom. I lost track of time at the party.”

12:18 “I’m on my way.”

Jane says bye to her friends and runs to the sports car her parents bought for her recent birthday. She backs out of the driveway and makes her way on the freeway. She gradually increases her speed 50 mph… 60 mph… 70mph… 80mph…Then, chaos ensues. She loses control of her car trying to change lanes in front of an eighteen-wheeler. She spirals out of control as her airbags deploy and she’s ejected from her driver’s seat. Jane hears sirens… strangers’ voices and a woman approaches that she doesn’t recognize. Her vision gets blurry and her breathing shallows and then… nothing.

My mother is a paralegal at a personal injury law firm, meaning she sees wrongful deaths in car accidents almost every day. On one particular day, she warned me to drive safely, yet I still looked down at my phone while I was in the driver’s seat and rear-ended somebody. I looked down for a split second and felt a jolt forward and a sudden pain in my knees. When the cops showed up, they asked me if I was on the phone and I confirmed their intuition. “You know better than this! Don’t you know this could’ve killed you! You’re lucky to be alive!” my parents said when they got home from leaving work early. I cried and in between tears croaked out “I’m sorry.” I was ashamed because I knew I truly could have died.

Many steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. For instance, highways can lower all speed limits to 60 mph or lower. The average highway speed in Texas is 65-75mph, which can be a lethal speed for new and experienced drivers. Additionally, in lower populated areas, more traffic lights and street lights should be implemented to allow better vision during the night. I’ve driven on numerous rural roadways with twists and turns seemingly shrouded to the naked eye due to the lack of street lights. In these situations, I resort to using my high beams on the roadways, but this can be a hazard to other drivers on the road. The addition of street lights in these areas would be of great assistance to drivers on the road.

Furthermore, stricter driving legislation should be enforced and the driving age should be increased from 16 to 18. I’ve heard numerous stories from my classmates about them illegally driving underage on highways with occasional passengers and no permit. Driving without a permit means driving without a full education of driving laws. I believe that parents should be more cautious about allowing their children to drive without the proper education. Additionally, schools should be more inquiring about teen drivers who are responsible for their own transportation. For instance, they should require some form of driving identification to be shown at the front office for kids of all grade levels, so those without identification would have their guardians called to take them to school from then on. Or if possible, schools should offer driving classes for students, so they know how to drive to school safely.

Better education reduces the chances of car accidents of all ages. There are different circumstances in driving that require an extensive education to be taught properly. For instance, four-way stops, roundabouts, and one-way streets. Additionally, knowledge about the death rates and danger of highways would persuade drivers of all ages to be more cautious while driving.

The first step I can take to be a better driver is to increase the driver’s focus. I try to make driving fun by playing a little focus game in my head. While driving, I remember to look at my rearview mirrors by trying to remember the colors of the cars to the right or left of me and behind me. The second step is to completely eliminate phone use while behind the wheel. As aforementioned, I was involved in a car accident because I was using my phone while driving. To eliminate this, the first thing I do when I enter my car is connect my phone to my car’s Bluetooth. This way, I can receive notifications and directions on my dashboard without looking at my phone while driving.

The third step is to follow the speed limit. It’s much easier to maintain a safer following distance where it’s not too far and not too close to the vehicle in front of me when I follow the speed limit. Furthermore, my mom always tells me whenever I’m running late for school, “I’d rather you be late than be dead.” In the story above at the beginning of my essay, the teenage driver passed away due to losing control of her vehicle while greatly exceeding the speed limit. Surpassing the speed limit is one of the largest causes of death among teenage drivers. Many teenagers tend to speed, especially with the addition of other adolescent passengers. The final step I can take is limiting the amount of friends I have in the car with me. I only permit one person in the vehicle other than me. In the past, I’ve blasted music and have had people talking to me while I was driving. I believe the fewer passengers I have in the vehicle means the fewer distractions I have en route to my destination, therefore making driving safer for everyone in the vehicle.

Eliminating distractions, encouraging proper driving education, and informing others of the dangers of driving could save thousands of lives. I’ve heard numerous stories of horrific accidents from my mother’s job. Millions of car accidents can be avoided by driving focused and following the speed limit. Even if I’m running late or have a passenger in the car, I make sure to be completely aware of cars around me, disregarding distractions from within the vehicle by prioritizing using my signals, and knowing my route ahead of time. By improving our driving habits as teenagers and young adults, we build a safer community of driving for our future and reduce the probability of accidents happening on roads.