The Text Can Wait

Considering statistical analysis that points towards more deaths from vehicle-related accidents than American soldier deaths in recent wars, driver education is vitally important in ensuring safety and reducing the number of deaths by car accidents. Promoting driver education increases the safety of being on the road not only for the drivers, but for any passengers that might be in the vehicle. This is also true with the other car that may have been involved in an accident. Proper training of teenage drivers can help boost awareness while operating a motor vehicle. There is no such thing as being too vigilant. By properly applying techniques used to increase driver safety, there will be less accidents as a result. In order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, an emphasis on eradicating phone usage while being behind the wheel must be the driving factor. While we are instructed during driving lessons to not operate a cell phone while driving, the minute most teenagers get their license, they are likely to leave out this part of the training. Initially, due to a somewhat lack of confidence and experience on the road, they may not be too inclined to check their phones while driving. However, as confidence increases, as well as dropping their guards, checking a cellular device becomes much more common, even when it shouldn’t be an option in the first place. Most of the time, somebody operating a motor vehicle feels their phone buzz or hear their phone’s ringtone, signaling to them that somebody is contacting them. The immediate reaction is to check and see who it is, unfortunately while the car is in drive. What might seem harmless to just check the notification that dings on that person’s cell phone, many things can happen in just that quick moment of checking. For example, an animal such as a deer can run out into the middle of the road. Perhaps they check the phone while making a slight turn and another car is approaching on the other side. Or maybe a pedestrian wasn’t paying attention when deciding to cross the road. All of these scenarios can happen in a second, the same amount of time it takes to check that text that 90% of the time could have been answered at home. By making a choice to check your phone, you risk feeling guilt, shame, and regret for the rest of your life. The first step into preventing these from happening is drilling the emphasis of not using a cell phone while driving into these teenage drivers. This of course is the job of the instructor, but also encouraged for parents too. As a driver, there lies responsibility in ensuring the safety of all passengers. They are entrusting to the driver that they will make it to their destination safely. When people are counting on you for safety, that should not ever be taken for granted. Recently, a young man at my old high school was involved in a deadly car crash. He was one of my offensive linemen my sophomore and junior year. He was a good kid that worked hard and had dreams like many young teens. Everything was taken away from him because of the combination of a vehicle and a cell phone. He swerved into ongoing traffic, maybe not even noticing it, and hit a car with multiple passengers inside. I am unaware of who exactly was in the other vehicle, but they were injured in the process nonetheless. Unfortunately, the young man passed away on the scene. All it took was a tiny screen with a pop-up notification to end his life. The consequences of distracted driving led to not only losing a teammate, but a son, a brother, a cousin, and a friend. While the only connection I had with him was through football, he was well liked by many people at our school and was honored at a candle lighting in the high school parking lot a few days after the incident. Life is precious, and should not be taken for granted by a cell phone while driving. A simple solution to preventing checking your phone while driving is to set all notifications to Do Not Disturb. By doing this, when a notification is received, the phone won’t vibrate, make a sound, or brighten. They won’t even be able to hear a phone call. It is essentially a dead phone until it is picked up and unlocked. This will reduce the curiosity of someone receiving a notification and allow them to completely focus on the road. Another way to ensure that a cell phone stays off while driving is by tucking it away in either a center console if the vehicle has one, or a glove box. Since most cars nowadays are able to access Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or another type of bluetooth related technology, this allows for teens to still play music in the car while not looking at their phone. In addition, this type of technology also allows the driver to accept calls through the car. If a call were to be necessary or expected, there is typically a button on the steering wheel allowing the driver to answer the call. Again, without looking at their phones. Modern technology has given young drivers a gateway into preventing distracted driving, and enforcing principles about the importance of avoiding distracted driving will greatly improve safety on the road.