Education is the Key to Safe Driving

Car accidents are a problem throughout our country, particularly for high school and college students.  Driver education is a key to reducing the number of deaths due to car accidents. In 2020 alone, about 2,800 American teens died and another 227,000 were injured because of motor vehicle crashes. This means that every single day of 2020, an average of eight teens were killed because of a motor accident. This was the highest of any age group by far. But why? Why were these teens getting in and getting injured in many more motor accidents than other age groups? Well, one of the most prominent reasons for this is because of distracted driving. 

One vital area of driver education is being aware of the effects of distracted driving. According to a 2019 survey done by the CDC of a US high school, 39% of high school students have either texted or emailed in the past 30 days while driving a motor vehicle. According to the same study, 9% of crashes caused by teens ages 15-20 were the result of distracted driving. This percentage was significantly higher than any other age group, with the second closest being 6%. Many drivers do not recognize the importance of focusing on driving. People driving often check their phones, eat, make a call, or even put on makeup while driving. Many people feel as if they can multitask while driving, however this is unsafe. The law in most states clearly says that distracted driving is punishable by a ticket. Although there are laws against distracted driving, many people are unaware of the significance of paying close attention to their driving so educating drivers about this is crucial.

In keeping with the importance of driver’s education, the first type of distracted driving is called visual distracted driving. This is anything that takes your eyes off the road. Whether it is a passenger showing you something, a person asking for a donation on the side of the road, or even a pretty sunset, these are all visual distracted driving. Something that we can do to prevent visual distracted driving is to simply focus on the road. It sounds easy and obvious when you say it, but if you focus on focusing on the road, then visual distracted driving will not be an issue in your life. In addition, reminding someone to keep their eyes on the road when you are riding with them will also prevent this. 

The second type of distracted driving is manual distracted driving. Manual distractions are anything that takes your hands off of the steering wheel. The main example of a manual distraction is a cell phone. Cell phones fall under all 3 types of distracted driving, but this one is the most prominent. Every time a person texts, looks up a song on a music app, or calls someone on the phone, their hand or hands are off of the steering wheel. Of course, this is an unfavorable situation, and could lead to a car crash. Sometimes people like to get on their phones at stop lights or stop signs when the car is not moving at all, but this is also not a good idea. The reason for this is because once a person starts something they often do not want to stop. If someone is typing a message to a friend and then the light turns green, the driver will be more inclined to finish that message while driving and the car is in motion. The same thing goes for music, especially if a driver cannot find a song that they like. The way I think that we can fix this is to have phones upside down in a spot where it would be hard or impossible to reach them while driving. If a person cannot see or touch their phone, then they would be less likely to feel the need to get on it while driving in the car. Also, if you are riding with someone that makes being on their phone while driving a habit, offer to respond to their message, change the music, or do whatever they need when you are in the passenger seat so they can keep their eyes on the road.

The third type of distracted driving is called cognitive distracted driving. Have you ever been driving for a few minutes and completely zone out of driving and then not even remember driving? I have been guilty of this while driving alone. I have gotten lost in my own thoughts. But believe it or not, this is actually a form of distracted driving. A person driving on “mind autopilot” is a lot more dangerous, because reaction time is lower and if something hazardous happens, then the person is more likely to get into a crash simply because they are zoned out. This type of distracted driving is a lot harder to prevent, because a lot of times you don’t even realize that you are zoned out until it is over.

I have had experience seeing others drive irresponsibly. I live in a city where 35% of the population is college aged people and young adults. We also have a lot of families so there are a lot of inexperienced teen drivers on the road. I have seen countless car accidents in my town where it appeared as if people were either distracted or not following the rules of the road. Recently, a road I drive on has undergone major construction and the traffic patterns have changed on the road. Even though the signs are huge and flash simple instructions, I have seen many people completely ignore the signs and continue to drive the way they are used to. Maybe if they had been trained on the importance of reading road signs, they would be more aware of the changes around them. It is almost funny watching the cars turn the wrong way, but then it is not actually funny because of the accidents that could take place due to people ignoring the new traffic pattern. Driver’s education could make a significant difference to drivers when faced with driving in construction zones or newly constructed roads.

Several steps can be taken to practice better driving habits. One, put the phone down! I tend to put my phone upside down away from me, so I am unable to look at it or pick it up while driving. Also, even though it can be awkward and maybe a little annoying, it is important to encourage others to practice good driving. For example, if I am with a friend who is speeding or not wearing a seatbelt, I will nicely tell them the importance of driving the speed limit and wearing a seatbelt. Also, pay attention to speed limits. Speed Limits are chosen for a reason. It is not our job or even our privilege to choose our speed. We must obey the speed limit laws, so you do not get a ticket but also to be courteous to your passengers as well as other people on the road. Speed limits are designed to keep people safe and they should be practiced. Following safe driving habits is an important part of life…it could be a matter of life and death!