Influenced Behaviors In Driving

In adolescence, it is imagined that we will someday be adults. We want to drive, get a job, and have a giant house. Although, this fantasy does not include the acknowledgement of dangers and responsibilities that are necessary to be an educated driver. Drivers today need to understand the importance of safe and educated driving. With restricted cell phone use and a seatbelt, drivers can influence the visionary youth around them.

To begin, with our future drivers analyzing and learning from our actions and behaviors, we must inform them about the dangers and basic safety measures of driving. Author Gisela Telis of the AAAS commented on the importance of a child’s imitation of adults. Scientists performed an experiment where an adult dragged a knob to open a box, and when the child was given a chance to play and experiment with the box, they simply followed the adults actions with no verbal influence. “The results support the idea that overimitation is a fundamentally human, cross-cultural phenomenon, one that may be critical to the transmission of human culture” (1). When an adult doesn’t use their seat belt or uses their cell phone while driving, this behavior can be mimicked by their children from adolescent to teenage years. It is crucial that adults display proper driving techniques to not only protect other drivers, but to influence their children to become safe drivers in the near future. To continue, the National Safety Council concluded that 1.6 million crashes each year are influenced by cell phone usage. Appropriate driving techniques as adults is essential to produce the educated drivers of the near future.

In similarity, Drivers Education can only educate drivers to a certain extent. A majority of their learning comes from personal experience. On an icy winter morning, my brother was driving me to school. I could tell he was distracted. He was checking his phone, tapping his leg, and staring off away from the road. Although, he was a responsible driver, in my eyes, because all drivers were on their phones or distracted. I thought this was normal behavior. Making a turn on the corner, our tires began to lock. There was no traction from our tires onto the slick roadway. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The trees on the side of the road were getting closer. A look of panic was stamped onto my brother’s face. Boom. We crashed the front of our car into a giant oak tree. Every time I drive home from school, I see the tree. It is symbolic of why I need to pay attention to the roadways, and stay off my phone while driving. Fortunately, we were extremely lucky to not have been injured.

Staying off our cell phones while driving not only makes us a better role model to young drivers, but keeps us safe. Being on your phone while driving can be the one time you crash into a building, car, or person. You have the power to strip away human life from answering a text while operating a vehicle. So, which do you value more? Human existence or dopamine rushes from the notification of your cell phone?

Bibliography:

Gisela TelisMay. 7, 2010, et al. “Kids Overimitate Adults, Regardless of Culture.” Science, 10 Dec. 2017, www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/05/kids-overimitate-adults-regardless-culture.

“Texting and Driving Accident Statistics – Distracted Driving.” Edgarsnyder.com, www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html.