Distracted Drivers

Driving is a privilege that you earn, it is not a necessity in life. 42,514 people died in the year 2022 because of reckless driving. Reckless driving can be considered anything that distracts a driver from the road and their surroundings.

The reason there are so many steps into receiving a license is because of the hazards driving poses. The first step in receiving your license is acquiring sign and road knowledge to achieve your permit. You then must take driving school to further your knowledge. The last step before receiving your license is having 60 hours of driving on the road. These rules are in place to make sure people are qualified to be on the road surrounded by pedestrians, road workers, other drivers, etc. Hundreds of people die on a daily basis. These are innocent people that had a job, a family, loved ones, pets, etc, and their future is taken away with a quick heartbeat due to reckless drivers. This symbolizes the importance of driving cautiously and understanding your surroundings.

Although I personally have never been in a car accident, I have been told stories and one in particular stuck with me. I had a cousin who wore her hair in beads. One day her and her family got into a car reck. The beads became imbedded into her skull and because of this, she died. This accident scared my mom, so I was never allowed to wear beads in my hair. Although I wasn’t the little girl who was in the car crash it caused a lot of paranoia for my mom. As a kid everyone around me had beads in their hair, so I never understood why my mom never let me wear them, but I recognize why now. Even people who aren’t directly affected, can still suffer. It’s important to understand it’s not the family’s fault for styling her hair like that it’s the fault of reckless driving. This is why safe driving is so important because you never know the countless lives you can affect including your own.

One of the most common distractions for me and a lot of other drivers is texting/calling. To follow my thought process, when I get a text, I want to read it because you never know if someone else is in danger or trouble. By doing so I put my life and my passenger’s life on the back burner which is unacceptable. A few possible solutions are to lock your phone in the glove compartment. This prevents you from wanting to reach over and check your phone because it’s so far away from you. Another alternative is to have a specific “do not disturb” setting for driving. Hearing a “ding” on your phone’s notification is tempting so by having it turned off you won’t be tempted to listen for it. Texting while driving is something I understand is a distraction for me and I know I need to take the necessary steps to protect myself and others by removing this distraction.

Another common distraction that isn’t talked about enough is daydreaming. Some travels can be extremely time consuming and repetitive. For instance, when I’m driving down a straight road I feel as if everything looks the same: the cars, the street, the flora, etc. This causes me to zone out which takes my attention away from the road. Some ways that have encouraged me to stop is taking side roads that aren’t so continuous. Although this isn’t very convenient for a lot of people, especially if they’re running late, it seems to work for me. Another possible solution is in a hush volume, narrate what you are doing. For example, “right now I am driving down a straight road headed to church. Beside me is an SUV and I see a street sign coming up that says speed limit 50.” This technique keeps you focus on your current activity and conscious of your surroundings. Those two solutions prevent you from daydreaming, which then prevents you from drifting into another lane potentially hitting another car and causing an accident. It’s important to remain aware of your surroundings to keep a safe travel for not just you but other drivers as well.

To conclude, becoming distracted while driving is extremely easy and dangerous. Roughly 3,000 people die a month due to reckless driving which can include texting, daydreaming, changing the radio, looking at a GPS, etc. It takes a strong individual to limit distractions, but it is so important. Hearing that a family member died just because they were looking at a GPS is heartbreaking. You never know when it’s your last time driving or being on the road simply because drivers are not paying attention. It’s devastating especially because driving is not a right, and by going through the license process you have agreed to drive safely for yourself and others.

Always watch your surroundings carefully and stay focused on the driving task at hand.