How Comfortable is Too Comfortable When You’re Behind the Wheel?

Getting a driver’s license is like a rite of passage for every 16-year-old. We all take the driver’s education classes, obtain our permit, and are supervised in the driver’s seat for several hours before taking the driver’s test. What they don’t teach you in this process, though, are the personal and exterior factors that may affect your driving. Some of the factors may seem like common sense, but unless reminded, young adults do not consider themselves to be in any extra danger while behind the wheel.

Driver’s education is essential in teaching students about the rules of the road, most of which have not changed for decades. The unchanging rules allow drivers to stay behind the wheel for a majority of their lifetime, adapting to the world changing around them on their own. What I mean by this is, sure, the rules of the road have not changed, but everything else that relates to driving has. The biggest change has been the technological advances that have been made to cars, adding safety features that make drivers more comfortable behind the wheel. How comfortable is too comfortable, though?

I have been in two car accidents, both when I was eighteen years old. I will preface my stories by saying that the first accident was not my fault, but the second one was. Both times, I was alone in the car, and no one was injured. My first accident was the result of an older man cutting me off when I had the right of way. The man refused to take any responsibility for what had happened and immediately placed the blame on me. The first thing he said when I opened my smashed car door was, “On our phones, were we?” I was not on my phone or distracted in any way, but he took the opportunity to use the common excuse of distracted driving. At the time of my second accident, I was taking online classes and was working two jobs. I was stretching myself thin on all levels, but I still wanted to maintain my life outside of school and work. On this particular morning, I was driving my mom’s car on I-57, travelling over 100 miles south from my home to visit my boyfriend at the University of Illinois. I knew that I was going to be driving for a longer period than usual, so I had made sure to get more sleep the night before. While driving, I was listening to music and had cruise control set to 75 mph. At this point, I was comfortable in the driver’s seat. After about 45 minutes of driving, I started to feel tired, but I didn’t think much of it because I was pretty consistently tired and knew I had to catch up on sleep. I opened the windows and drank some water, hoping to wake myself up. Next thing I knew, I opened my eyes to the sound of the rumble strips and the car was veering off of the left side of the highway. I turned the wheel to the right and tried to find the brake, but the car fishtailed around. The back bumper hit the median guard cable before I could regain control. I pulled off to the side of the road to collect myself before I pulled off at the nearest exit.

Driver’s education is important in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving because it teaches those who will be driving about the rules of the road and proper road etiquette. This ensures that all drivers are following the same rules and maintains a steady flow of traffic. To continue to reduce the number of deaths, though, I believe that driver’s education courses should teach more than just the rules of the road. First, stressing the importance of awareness while driving will go a long way. Newer cars come with automatic breaks and sensors that alert drivers and keep them safe, but drivers should not always rely on these features. Relying on these features result in too much comfort, which leads to inattention. Then, along with the education of drunk drivers, it would be beneficial for courses to teach students about the proper mental state of someone who is fit to drive. Drowsy drivers and victims of “highway hypnosis” can also find themselves in dangerous, and even fatal situations. In fact, as recently as September of 2023 it was said that more than 100,000 car accidents can be attributed to drowsy driving every year in the United States. So once again, drivers should never be so comfortable behind the wheel that their absentmindedness goes as far as them dozing off.

Based on my second accident, it is clear that I can be a safer driver in more ways than one. Being sure that I am well rested before driving for long periods of time has been essential since I dozed off behind the wheel. I have fallen victim to highway hypnosis during a long drive with no attention-grabbing features, so I have also started listening to podcasts during long drives because they are more engaging. I have learned my driver’s seat lesson and the biggest thing in teaching others is to share my experiences. No one ever thinks that their comfort behind the wheel could harm them, but maybe they have become too comfortable.