Safe on the Road

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is being able to focus on the road and your surroundings. The human brain can’t multitask. So, if you were to be texting or changing the music or having an eye to eye conversation with someone else in the vehicle, you’re losing focus on what’s going on in front or behind of you. Like those commercials that say,”A text can wait” . Even those new tech cars that have digital screens can be a distraction. If a new message pops up, your curiosity strikes and the urge to pick up the phone and see the message is bad. If you’re looking down, you might miss the light changing, a car braking or a car getting into the lane. Sometimes, the wheel just turns as well, so if you’re looking down the focus is on the phone instead of making sure you’re not hitting anything. Deaths due to car accidents are declining, I would assume it would be because these new tech cars have sensors that automatically stop or have internal pilots.

The steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving are for starters, not having your phone in your hand. Not having your phone in your hand prevents you from encouraging you to look down and check it.Turning your notifications off while driving is better because it leads to less temptation to want to check your phone. Also prevents the buzzing from the notification to startle you and forces you to see who it was.A split second of distraction can do a lot of damage. When with my apple watch, if I feel a buzz, I want to automatically check my phone or my apple watch screen. But you have to be conscious of it. If it was important, they would have called . Or, if the temptation is strong, pull over and answer the message. Steps to reduce deaths should be taken to decrease the death rates.

My personal experience was not that bad, but it could have been worse. I was backing out of my driveway and I was looking at my phone to change the song and I ended up crashing into a car parked behind me. The hit was not severe but it was definitely terrifying since I have never had an accident before. There was another incident where someone else almost crashed into me. I was driving home and this cop was on his phone (I physically saw his phone in his hand) and he kept driving straight when there was a curve and luckily I was focused on my surroundings and saw he was coming straight instead of curved, so I swerved. It’s the small things that can have big impacts.My dad has a big problem where he always uses his phone. Me and my mom always try to change his way by telling him to get off his phone. He has gotten in a lot of car accidents in the past, but me and my mom have been getting in his head more that he uses his phone less.

To be a better and safer driver, the steps I take are avoiding my phone while driving, turning my notifications off, focusing on my surroundings and paying attention to the car in front and behind of me. For example, when the car in front of me starts to break, I break as well so there’s a good enough distance between us. If I see there’s a speeder coming, I just let them pass so there’s no possibility of them crashing into me or me crashing into them. To help others, like my friends… I tell them “Drive safe, don’t text and don’t speed” everytime we’re leaving a place. I feel like being told before you start to drive makes you feel a certain way. Like guilt if I were to text or speed. I use the same technique with my dad. I tell him dont text or be on your phone when you drive. It’s not that effective on him unless I am with him. I get very anxious when people don’t focus on the road and start to text or go on facebook while driving. Anything can happen at any second. The one thing I always think about is what if I was the reason someone lost their daughter ,son ,mother ,father, wife or husband? I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. A text can wait. Safety will always be first!