Do drivers really know the risk?

In movies and TV
shows it is almost normal for characters to drive distracted. They
eat, text, are on the phone, or even in a shoot out as they drive. So
now, do drivers really know the risk? In real life, we do not get as
many stories of what driving in real life should look like, or the
consequences when you do not drive as you should. So, driver
education is crucial because the more informed people are of the
risks of distracted driving, the more they will question if driving
distracted is worth the potential cost. So, to start off this
message, I will start off with a scenario.

Imagine that someone
just got a not a car. Well, after they put their child in the car,
that is. The child was only buckled in with a seatbelt, though by law
they should have still been seated in a car seat. The parent figures
that it’ll be fine. The day care was just around the corner. Plus,
this person was already late for work. But, they never made it even
around the corner. A car came speeding out of nowhere and hit the
car. And neither passenger survived.

Now, this is a
fictional story, but stories like this actually happen more than
people would think. Motor related accidents are one of the top causes
of death in children in the United States. And of these incidents 43
percent of children were not buckled in or were not properly buckled
in.

So, besides keeping
drivers informed, there are, of course, those physical things that
people can do reduce the number of driving related deaths. The most
important one is the basic buckling up. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, buckling up can reduce the
risk of injuries and death for older children and adults by almost
half.

As for me, I do not
drive. At least, not yet. But, while driving with family members I
have seen them drive irresponsibly. Be it speeding or trying to
multitask while driving. Their excuse is, “I am experienced.
I’ve been doing this a long time.” But I know that plenty of
people who are experienced drivers could still get into an accident.

Which then takes me
to this. How can I become a better or safer driver when I actually
get on the road? First off, I can buckle up and turn my ringer off.
And, I will always remember the consequences of distracted driving
just to make sure that I do not risk it. As for keeping others safe
on the road, I can make more of an effort to remind those that I see
driving distracted that there is a risk, even if they are
experienced. Accidents happen everyday. And so, I will end with this.
For the sake of your life and the lives of the people around you,
don’t drive distracted.