In the Driver’s Seat

I have been driving for so long I never think about my actions; I simply buckle my seatbelt and go. It isn’t until I take my eyes off the road for one second and almost wreck that I realize driving is the most dangerous task I complete in my day-to-day life. It’s often stated distracted driving- whether zoning out, texting, or taking a bite of a burger- is the number one cause for car accidents in the United States. Oftentimes I look over into other people’s cars and watch them reach for something in the back seat, swerving into the other lane while they do it instead of waiting an extra ten minutes to grab it. There are many steps each of us can take to reduce distracted driving: recognize the importance of blocking out anything that isn’t other cars on the road, prepare for a drive and put what’s necessary in the front seat up there, and stop texting while driving.

To start, we all do it while driving, we all look out the window to take in the view, or to see the cows on the side of the road. It isn’t until we hear the honking of another person’s horn we realize the wreck we almost caused from the things that distracted us. This type of distracted driving is real, “Looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle.” (DMV, 10). It’s ironic when we distract ourselves by observing wrecks that occurred then almost causing one ourselves. While drivers ed plays an important role in raising awareness in this type of distracted driving, many often forget about it as it becomes so normalized. By recognizing how small problems are qualified as distracted driving we can raise awareness to them and put a stop to it by informing those closest to us.

To continue, it happens to the best of us, we forget to bring the important stuff we may need while driving- like our water- up to the front seat with us, or we leave our chapstick in our purse. What we don’t realize is the second we reach to grab what we may need, will be the second we move the wheel in the wrong direction, causing ourselves to wreck into someone else on the road. There is one main way to prevent this type of distracted driving from occurring- and that is preparing for a trip. Whether it’s an hour-long trip or even a simple five minute drive to the grocery store, we can still prepare for it so distracted driving doesn’t occur, “Finish getting ready at home – instead of once you get on the road.” (AAA, 7). Don’t wait till driving to pick the playlist, apply lip gloss, or anything that should be done while at home, everyone should put the necessities in the seat next to them, or compile a list of things they must do before they enter the road.

Last but not least- it’s always quoted as the most dangerous thing we can do while driving- texting. “Texting, which includes messaging, is considered the most dangerous type of distracted driving because it combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction” (NHTSA, 2). Texting takes most of our attention from the road as we have to process in our brains what a person sends, then take the time to come up with a response ourselves, all the while taking all our attention off the road. Many of us have firsthand experience with the dangers of driving while texting; I know I do. Oftentimes, I will be a passenger with my cousin, mom, sister, etc., and they’ll pull out their phone to start replying to a message they received that they deemed important at the time. In the split second they take their eyes off the road to respond, is the split second I let out a gasp as they’re headed toward oncoming traffic. Most of the time they take out their phone to respond, we’re only about five minutes away from our destination, so texting could very well be avoided. There are also many safety features that can be downloaded on one’s phone to alert the person texting them they’re driving at the moment and won’t be able to respond. By not taking the time to download an app or keep our eyes on the road and off our phone, we’re each risking each other’s lives.

All in all, distracted driving is simple to avoid. By informing our loved ones of the risks of driving distracted, we can show them how to avoid it and keep others safe in many ways. By keeping our eyes on the road instead of taking in a view across the street we can save lives. Instead of applying makeup on the road to make our destination on time instead of a couple minutes late we can avoid a disastrous trip. Downloading apps to tell others about our driving trips can keep our attention from our phones, or also asking our passengers to respond for us can be the difference between safety and a death risk. These are the steps we can each take to make the road safe, keep our attention to the road, get ready in our homes, and throw our phones out of our sight.