Arrive Alive, Don’t Text and Drive

Paige Costanzo

DmvEdu.org

Driver Education Initiative

6 June 2021

Arrive Alive, Don’t Text and Drive

The 21st century has experienced issues no previous generation could ever imagine. A minuscule box that once held the answers to all of the world’s problems ironically ended up simultaneously creating the majority of them. Individuals today not only lack social skills, stable mental health levels, and proper time management but additionally have developed a mindset which values one specific text from their significant other over their own personal safety. The digital transformation phones has taken over everything ranging from schooling techniques to occupational structures. The once tangible driving test and course have now been adapted in many cases to a mobile digital platform where individuals continue to partake in phone obsessive behaviors. When it came time for me to begin thinking about driving and receiving my permit, I immediately felt stressed and quite uncomfortable based on the previous incidents I had experienced in my life as well as the fact that peers I had known to be drug and cellphone addicts were coasting the roads like it was nothing. Smartphone apps became the newfound keys to one’s license that everyone seemed to be utilizing. Through these apps, individuals began acquiring their learner’s permits and licenses after completing just a few modules online that could have easily been searched up on the web. The actual driving test at the end appeared with a popup explaining the requirements of adult supervision that was easily clicked away and discarded by many. The persistence of technology such as smartphones and apps infecting the way students attain skills, as well as the obsessional traits they instill within young individuals, will ultimately be the downfall of the very skills they are trying to attain.

TEXTING AND DRIVING

Don’t tempt fate, the text can wait. Whether it is a friend or a parent, most individuals can confidently say that they have experienced firsthand texting and driving situations. In fact, according to statistics derived from Jerry L. Cook and Randall B. Jones, Department of family, consumer and human developments in Utah, 3 out of 4 (74.3%) young adults engage in texting while driving, over half on a weekly basis (51.8%), and some even engage in accessing the web while driving (16.8%). Individuals often feel that accessing the web for directions or a map is less irresponsible than texting and driving but fail to realize that the physical choice of reaching for one’s phone upon the road is consequential no matter the initial reason. The rise and popularity of Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and various other forms of social media have quadrupled the amount of distractions drivers now face while on the road. Not only are drivers at risk of checking regular text messages but now have Facebook check-ins, Instagram likes, and Snapchat notifications to resist. Recent statistics from Pew Research Centers show the percentage of social media usage among the different age groups with ages 18 to 29 securing 1st place with a whopping 84%. This means that 84% percent of 18-29-year-olds own a cellphone and utilize it regularly. I’ve personally dealt with distracted drivers that continually check their instagram feed and answer last minute snaps while waiting for the stoplights to change colors and even continued after it changed as they were so absorbed within their own digital world. With individuals 18-29 years old already dealing with anger issues, high levels of stress and whatever else comes along with changing hormones , the addition of a cell phone to the equation may cause a serious malfunction. I’ve had friends receive break up messages, devastating phone calls relaying heavy messages, and nasty instagram comments, all of which negatively impacted their driving by provoking them to run red lights, drive more aggressively or completely lose sight of what is going on in front of them. For this reason I reinstate my previous message of: It can wait. Whatever it is that just popped up upon your phone can wait. Whether you make that choice for the safety of yourself or the safety of others, don’t overlook the consequences; events can take a turn in a matter of seconds.

INADEQUATE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

Society today revolves around the smartphone and it is far from shocking that the mobile device has now added additional risks and distractions to a potentially already dangerous activity of driving. As we have previously seen, not only do cellphones and texting interfere with how individuals drive but with new online Drivers Ed courses being introduced, these mobile devices have begun interfering with how we physically learn to drive. Some online courses allow young drivers to learn the rules of the road through 8 simple modules that the site promises can be done in a few hours. Now this sounds great for young, road hungry individuals who can’t wait to drive but just how safe is it? Personally, throughout the course I kept detailed notes in my notebook labeled “Drivers Ed Course” and took about 2 weeks to thoroughly engage in the full content. Let’s be honest though, not every individual will do the same. As I prepared for this paper I had started researching about online courses and what it was really about and found that many people, along with myself, found it fairly enjoyable. Enjoyable and safe though are two very different concepts. I discovered that the module answers to some of these courses were plastered all over the internet in various Quizlets and other sites like Brainly. For each and every module offered, there were various quizlets available for use. In fact the final exam itself had various answer keys on internet sites available for the eyes of each and every student who searched for it. How will young students ever learn the various rules of the road including the right of way, what a double yellow line means, how to handle roundabouts and the rules for driving behind a school bus? Simple answer: They won’t.

With all of that said, the issue related to mobile devices and driving still exist and will continue to dominate my age group if nothing is done. So what can we do? A few ideas I have personally come up with that I hope will allow us to take a step in the right direction of safer driving practices are mandatory face to face driving courses, the rapid implementation of self-driving or driver assistance technologies and finally greater deterrents like higher fines to cause individuals to refrain from cellphone use while driving. The implementation of face to face courses that force students to physically go to a DMV or equivalent high standards driving school, study the road with a teacher, get in the car with proper supervision, and take a proctored test will reduce the infiltration of mobile device distractions during the learning process and allow students to feel more comfortable on the road. This will not only benefit the driver but the individuals around them that trust the current system is doing all in its power to prepare young drivers for the rules of the road. Students will no longer be able to cheat their way through crucial courses but instead will be held accountable and will not continue forward if they lack certain skills, preparedness, or the seriousness required to operate a car safely.. Another solution that may reduce the number of crashes and deaths that occur on the road are self driving cars and driver assist technologies. Tesla has been the first to introduce this technology with their Autosteer, Autopark, and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) programs that are now being included in their automobiles. According to Bridie Schmid, lead reporter for The Driven, Tesla has released its latest quarterly data that shows that driving with Autopilot engaged is nearly 10 times safer than average cars, and carries almost 90% lower risk of being involved in a car accident. With autopilot engaged, driver distractions become less detrimental to drivers and pedestrians as the computer begins to take more control over the safety of the car and its surroundings. . Autopilot will safely make the decisions on the road, have faster reflex than humans, and won’t be distracted by social media notifications. Other car manufacturers are also beginning to implement similar technologies in their own vehicles since the safety statistics can’t be ignored. Lastly, by implementing higher fines for individuals who fail to refrain from cell phone usage while driving, many will think twice about checking that notification if it results in wiping out their bank account. Through the careful consideration of these new concepts and rules, along with mindfulness and accountability among us all, I believe we can reduce the number of crashes and work toward safer roads. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my application, although I hope it wasn’t read upon the road!