One Last Text-The Socially Excepted Addiction

Phone-Related distracted driving is the cause of over ¼ accidents of all crashes. (Pohorecki) That Number should open the eyes of so many people around the world. I know it most definitely did mine. Mandatory Drivers Education could play a significantly important role in improving that number. Taking a Drivers Education class played a crucial part in making me aware that I need to educate myself on how to become a truly safe driver.

Before receiving my permit, my parents made me take driver’s education when I was 15. I’ll be 100% honest, I dreaded going. I felt like I was going for no reason because I already knew how to drive. I mean it was easy right? Wrong. I learned so many valuable lessons through taking the drivers education class.

In March 2023 I was in an ATV accident. Although it’s not a car it was still just as dangerous, if not more. I was the passenger to my 15 year old friend in a side by side. We swerved to miss a pothole and hit another one and the next thing I knew I was waking up after being thrown out of the vehicle causing me to be unconscious on the ground. It was the scariest moment in my entire life. I made it out with a broken collarbone (two inch total separation of the bones), a broken rib, and a concussion. Not to mention the full body cuts from flying across asphalt. This experience really changed my perspective on many things and my life changed that day. I fell into a deep depression because I wasn’t allowed to do anything for weeks. I was forced to sit and contemplate my decisions that led me to the point I was at. After this experience I became a much more attentive and safe driver. I wanted to make sure I never put myself in danger or put myself in a situation like that ever again. I never wanted to feel the burden of destroying someone’s life because of my mistakes like distracted driving.

One major step I think everyone as well as myself, everyone should reduce and/or eliminate the amount of mobile phone usage while on the road. Distracted driving has always been a thing but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that phones have become more and more addicting the past couple of years. So addicting that we physically can’t stay off of our phones while driving. Just think of how many times you thought to yourself “I’m gonna send just one last text”, “Let me check facebook one more time’, or “I wonder if he texted me back yet”. Chances are it’s not “one last” thing. It will turn into another and at some point you’ll get carried away and the last text you want to send could potentially be the last thing you do.

I want to spread awareness and help others understand that most of us are addicted to our phones and it is something that is so widely socially accepted when it is constantly killing people like us everyday. Most of us don’t realize the severity and dangers of distracted driving. We do it every day without realizing what we are doing. To impact others around me I could make sure when I am by myself and especially when I have passengers, to keep my phone on silent and put away where I won’t feel the need to access it. I will explain to drivers when I’m the passenger how important it is to keep your eyes on the road and how their decisions could impact other people, not just themselves.

Since it is scientifically proven that taking the drivers education class gives you the knowledge you need to be smarter on the road than those who haven’t taken the class, I believe the class should be mandatory for all drivers. A study from the University of Nebraska shows that “A new study that followed more than 150,000 teen drivers over eight years has found that driver’s education significantly reduces crashes and traffic violations among new drivers.” (“Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets”) If this class is made mandatory, lives could easily be saved and the roads will be much more safe. I also think that the class should have time to focus on everything that is considered distracted driving. Phone usage isn’t the sole problem for every crash under the distracted driving category. There are many other things that can distract you while driving, phones just happen to be a socially accepted form of distraction. If kids could be taught from a young age, before they ever get behind a wheel, how dangerous it really can be, the roads could become a safer place for everyone.