Every Life on the Line, on the Road

I can still remember the sense of fearful expectation while waiting for the impact from being rear-ended by a distracted driver when I was 11 years old. I felt the consequences of this accident for four years, and I know that it could have all been avoided. A driver’s education program that emphasizes the importance of being a safe and educated driver could be the most important education that most students will ever receive. Their life and the lives of others are on the line, or rather, on the road. I will show how this is true by explaining: my own experience of being injured by negligent driver, the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving, different steps to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving, and some of the different steps that I can take to protect each person on the road.

My mother and I were in a car accident caused by a distracted driver when I was in sixth grade. We were stopped at a stop light but the driver behind us continued to travel at approximately 45 mph. We felt the entirety of the impact as the car was directly behind us when it hit our car. This had immediate and prolonged impacts on my mental and physical abilities. Throughout the remainder of that school year, I suffered from severe headaches, vision problems, muscle pain, and an inability to focus and concentrate on my studies. This was on top of a schedule that was filled with many doctor’s appointments. For approximately four years after the accident, I continued to experience severe headaches that greatly affected my ability to think and concentrate on my schoolwork. The combined effects of the accident caused me to become a year behind in my education. I am so grateful to have overcome this obstacle in my life even though it involved many set backs, delays, and side effects. I have learned to persevere, endure, and overcome. But I will never forget those four years of feeling the consequences of another driver’s negligence every day. You can never undo the consequences of even a moment of distracted driving.

Drivers education is a critical component of protecting each person on the road. It is impossible to be a safe driver if you are an uneducated driver. From knowing appropriate vehicle speeds in school zones, to how to how to maintain control of your car in inclement weather, drivers education teaches each driver how to handle their vehicle in each situation to protect their life and the lives of every other person who uses the roads. In addition, drivers education informs drivers of the series consequences of distracted driving. It is sobering to think of the number of lives that could be saved each year if every driver would keep both hands on the wheel, both eyes on the road, no drinking or drugs, and follow the code. Each persons safety on the streets depends on the education and attentiveness of every other driver.

A variety of steps to promote safe and educated driving would help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the roads. One option is to have yearly required continuing education requirements for each driver in order for them to maintain their drivers license. A larger presence of law enforcement officers could also help address distracted drivers before they cause accidents. Automatic deactivation of phones when placed in a vehicle could be a breakthrough in the advancement of non-distracted driving. Even with the hands-free calling technology that many newer cars have, talking, texting, or surfing the web can cause irreversible consequences when done on the road. Any of these options could greatly reduce the number of car accidents caused by distracted drivers.

There are many different steps that I can take to protect each person that I share the road with. If I am driving in the car, the cell phone is turned off and put away. If the roads are not completely dry and clear I can turn the radio off and stop visiting with the other passenger so that I can give my full attention to safely driving. One habit that I am so grateful that my mother instilled in me, is that if the roads are dangerous because of inclement weather or other drivers, be quiet so that the driver can focus on navigating the situation safely. I have learned to strategically avoid dangerous situations due to our Montanan weather by consolidating different errands on days with clear roads to avoid driving in bad weather as much as possible. Running an errand is not worth risking our lives on hazardous roads. It can wait. I can also promote safe and educated driving by encouraging others to practice attentive and non-distracted driving habits. Every life matters. And when I am driving, every other person’s life is on the line, on the road.

Distracted driving is a titanic problem for our nation. But it is not insurmountable, or unavoidable. Through drivers education and initiatives to promote non-distracted driving, we can create a nation of safe and educated drivers. Each individual can also take steps to protect the life and health of every person on the road. By working collectively and independently, we can change the future of driving in America so that each person can dive without fearing the consequences of another driver’s negligent driving.