Distracted Driving

It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year and my mom told me I needed to study for my driving permit. I didn’t want to drive; in fact, I was scared to drive. I have seen car accidents through the years, and they always looked scary, and my parents always told me the importance of being prepared for what other drivers do and I didn’t think I could always be so alert to avoid a car accident. Fast forward to the present. Every morning, I get up and grab my keys to drive myself to school. Driving can be scary, but with everything in life; you can’t let it hold you back. I take my responsibility of driving very serious and understand it’s up to me to ensure myself and others are safe on the road.

In the state of Florida, drivers under the age of 18 must pass a drug and alcohol test and then they have the opportunity to study for their learner’s permit. My parents downloaded the Florida’s driving book. Unfortunately, many high schools do not offer a driver’s education class. I studied the driving book for 3 months prior to taking the test because I knew driving could be life or death if I didn’t understand the rules of the road. I successfully pass the learner’s permit test and was able to start driving with an adult over 25 years old for one year and then I can take the road test and obtain my driver’s license. My parents were very committed to me understanding the importance of being a responsible driver; so, they put me in a driving school. In the driving school, I was able to learn about the laws and practice driving. In addition, the county Sherrif’s department offers a defensive driving course with included a classroom driver education. In the classroom portion, I learned a lot about following the law and the impacts if I didn’t. I saw videos of car accidents, videos of drunk drivers and videos of people that have died as the result of a distracted driver. The steps to reduce accidents and deaths are simple; pay attention to the road. The phone call can wait, the text message is not worth another person’s life. I personally put my phone in the back seat, so I am not tempted to be distracted. Another way to reduce the number of deaths is to not drive while under the influence. My parents have installed Uber on my phone and told me never to drive if I have been drinking; I will always have a ride by calling Uber.

About a year ago, I went to the grocery store and as I was heading home; there was a car in front of me that ran a stop sign. Moments later, I hear a loud crashing sound. When I drove up; I realize the person that ran the stop sign hit a motorcyclist. I have seen accidents in the past, but this was bad. The rider of the motorcycle was in what I call a pretzel, he was not moving or making a sound. There was a lot of blood. I grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1. I will never know what happened the motorcyclist, but I was so upset that another person would blatantly run a stop sign. Were they distracted and didn’t see it? Were they in a hurry and just didn’t care? When someone is distracted or chooses to ignore the law; they are not thinking about how their behavior affects others. My mom had a friend that was killed by a driver that was texting. I think about that all the time. Did the driver think they had it all under control? Did the driver think, “this text will only take a second.”

My friends are starting to drive, and I encourage them to take the courses I participated in. When at a party, I tell my friends to not get behind the wheel and use my Uber app to call them a ride home if they were drinking. If my friend is trying to send a text, I grab the phone and say, “let me send it for you.”

In closing, being an alert driver is imperative for the safety of everyone. There is nothing that is so important to remove someone’s attention from the road. It only takes a second for someone to stop in front of you, or a child to run in the road. It’s important to ensure you are well rested when driving; so you don’t fall asleep at the wheel. The state of Florida can also investigate additional laws that help prevent drivers from being distracted. One example would be hands free law to prevent people from using their cellular phones while driving.