Safe Driving in Ohio

There is still a rise in preventable deaths that occur from motor vehicle accidents. Deadly driving accidents in Ohio were worse in 2022 and there have been new laws put in place to reduce this number. Whether it is from being distracted, driving under the influence, or being tired, it could happen in a fraction of a second. People need to be vigilant to put a stop to this cause of death. There have been more than 91,000 Ohio deaths between 2013-2019 because of driving accidents. Laws to punish impaired drivers and people taking action to protect themselves and others are what it takes to make safer roads for everyone.

The use of a cell phone and other electronic devices cause drivers to be distracted because they take their eyes off the road and other vehicles. Police can now stop a driver that they have witnessed holding and using a cell phone and give them a warning. I have been in a vehicle as a passenger when a family member was looking for music on his phone. Our car was veering to the right across another lane in Columbus, OH where there are multiple lanes going the same direction. Someone honked their horn at us as we crossed into their lane, nearly colliding. This opened my eyes to how fast an accident can happen and how important it is to avoid any use of my phone while driving. It takes our reflexes 3-4 seconds to respond to braking while on the phone and some people completely miss the brakes in an accident. While driving and not texting, it takes 1 second. The Texas Transportation Institute performed studies which showed that while on an electronic device, it can double reaction times.

The steps we must take in order to prevent vehicular deaths are very simple and can easily be followed. When driving with a cell phone or a hand held cellular device, the Do Not Disturb option is available in the Settings App. If someone is easily forgetful, Do Not Disturb while Driving is a viable option, this is a precaution that I have taken in order to stay focused on the road ahead. Drinking or using medicinals should be avoided if someone plans to drive. Driving under the influence of any substance, that being drugs or alcohol, is the worst decision anyone can make. Not only can the impaired driver be seriously injured but they can harm another along with charges of multiple felonies such as vehicular manslaughter, DUI, any count of murder, and even losing your license permanently. An impaired driver that kills someone in an accident has the lowest potential penalty of 30 days in jail while the worst penalty can be up to 60 years in prison plus an added $50,000 fine. If possible, try to convince those impaired to put down the keys to ensure their safety as well as yours.

My experiences with unsafe driving have been very few, those times where it was unsafe, I was very lucky. I have never been in an accident myself though I have lost family and friends to car accidents where the driver was distracted or impaired. The most recent moment that I can recall of feeling unsafe was a month ago, I was in the backseat of my boyfriend’s father’s car. I could tell as soon as I sat down that his father was intoxicated. If I had known before, I would have tried to contact my parents or found another way home but it was too late. I remember feeling nervous the entire time, as he slurred every word my fear became evident to my boyfriend sitting next to me. I could tell he was just as nervous. We finally arrived and luckily there was no accident. Riding in a car with an intoxicated driver made me think of my late great-uncle who perished in a motorcycle accident. The driver was under the influence, driving left of center, crashing into him. I was not yet old enough to comprehend this but hearing from family members was enough to convince me. A saying that I will never forget from my father, “Driving is the most dangerous thing you will ever do.” and I replay this every time I step behind the wheel.

I believe that overall, I am a very safe driver. Honestly, I had looked at my phone from time to time just to change the music I was listening to. I do realize that it only takes a second of my eyes leaving road to collide with another vehicle. As I mentioned above, I have turned on Do Not Disturb while Driving in order to prevent me from doing this multiple times if at all. If I am driving others around, I have made it a rule to wear seat belts at all times just in case an accident does occur. With these steps and rules, I have made driving on the road a lot safer for myself and others: no driving and texting, no riding with intoxicated drivers, I will always be the designated driver. I will continue to help and improve driving for all of Ohio by being responsible with my actions. Relaying this information to my friends and family will help the spread of safe driving in hopes of improving the mortality rate of vehicular deaths as to one day cut these tragedies to zero.