Distracted Driving Kills

Learning how to drive a car can be a difficult and scary task for many teens. When I first approached driver’s education, all I could think about were the risks.While I would read stories on social media about road rage gone wrong, high speed police chases, and brutal accidents, I never imagined these things happening near me. In my hometown and local areas however, I constantly read articles online about car accidents, fatalities, and distracted driving incidents. This terrified me, as I was confident in my awareness and skills, however I was not so sure about other’s skills on the road. A new driver is likely a junior in high school, operating a nearly 1.5 ton vehicle that could injure others or yourself with just one wrong move.

Once I was forced into driving however, I learned that while this is new, it can be educating and exciting to learn. While my school doesn’t offer a driver’s education class at the high school, most students take it online. Even if there was no instructor teaching us, we learned all of the important rules that many new drivers are not sure of before driving. Since we are in such a rural area, one town over from us only has one stoplight in their town. They’re often known for ‘the town with one flashing light’, as their only traffic light is a flashing red light. I had no idea what you were supposed to do at one of these; how did you know who went first? Drivers education however, teaches you these skills, as well as other skills that are not necessarily traffic laws. They teach you how to drive in different weather conditions, what to do if you’re met with another driver with road rage, and how to conduct yourself if you are pulled over. All of these skills are skills that many experienced drivers may not know themselves, or even remember. One of the largest problems I see that cause accidents, or problems on the road is distracted driving. Rather that is the driver being on their phone, dealing with their children in the back seat, or simply being in a rush, this can significantly harm others.

When I reflect on the car accident I got in earlier this year, I wonder if these slight problems could have prevented it. I was driving on a road with a middle lane for turning, when a truck cut across the lanes to pull into a gas station. Since a car in the middle lane told them it was clear, they did not check to see if another car was coming. Unfortunately, my car was coming, and I did not see them until I was hit. Although this was a minor crash that did not cause me any physical harm, I have become much more cautious while driving. The driver of the other car told me that they were in a hurry to get to an appointment, and never would have pulled out if they had more time to spare.

The other driver was ticketed, and I walked away with a totalled car, and no injuries. However, getting back to driving was quite difficult. While I was grateful that my accident didn’t cause any serious injuries, I couldn’t stop thinking, “What if I was on the freeway, going 70? Would I have still been okay?” This overwhelming sense of fear has caused me to not ride with others, since I can not be in control of the vehicle. If this other driver would have not been in a rush, they may have waited until they had better visibility. Perhaps she was on her phone, and didn’t think much of it, since the other driver in the middle lane told her to go ahead. While there are many uncertainties about this, there is one common denominator; distracted driving can cause crashes. Everyone is aware of this fact, but many people pretend it isn’t a problem. So, how can we fix it?

There is no way for the police to watch every driver, and ticket them all. Therefore, we as drivers need to do better. Leaving earlier to get to our destination on time, not multitasking while driving, and pulling over if you need to urgently check your phone. At the moment, a student may think that speeding would be better than being tardy to school. However, the grave truth is, would you rather be tardy, or be in a deadly accident? As well as this, as the passenger, you should speak up against distracted driving. Many teens ride with their friends to dinner, sporting events, or school. While this may be a fun activity for others, and a chance to hang out with your friends, you are putting not only your life and the drivers around you, but also your passengers. If your driver continues this, choose to ride with someone else, or a public transit instead. While it could cause your friends to make comments about it towards you, it could save your life.