Distracted Driving & Driving Safety

Driver education is instrumental in keeping teenagers and adults safe on the road and preventing deaths and injuries due to dangerous driving habits. Many teenagers look forward to the freedom and flexibility that a driver’s license provides, forgetting the immense danger they put themselves in every time they go out on the road. While a license does make transportation much easier for teens with busy schedules, it also comes with great responsibility that must not be overlooked. Drivers need to learn the proper procedures for operating their vehicles and interacting with traffic to keep themselves and others safe, and driver education courses give new drivers the opportunity to learn these procedures.

Many measures already exist to reduce driving-related deaths. For example, driver education is a requirement for everyone under 25 to get their license where I live in the state of Texas. This ensures that all licensed drivers in this age range have learned about driving safety and know how to employ safe driving techniques. This process also requires Texas teens to take a 2 hour course over the impacts of distracted driving, emphasizing the consequences of not using safe driving practices. Despite this, many teens still neglect to use driving safety, putting themselves and others on the road in danger. Many steps can be taken to reinforce safe driving practices; namely, increased education, law enforcement, safety technology, and awareness of driving safety could play an integral role in decreasing driving-related deaths. To begin, increased driver education in various conditions would prepare new drivers for all sorts of hazardous situations. While 10 night hours of driving are already required to obtain a Texas driver’s license, requirements for highway driving and driving in the rain (and snow in colder states) would further prepare drivers. In addition, stricter law enforcement for distracted driving, especially phone usage, would encourage drivers to focus on the road and abstain from technology usage while driving. Moreover, new and existing car and phone technology could strengthen driving safety. For example, an app that restricts phone usage to maps or emergency use only while driving could limit distractions due to cell phones, and newer car technology with strong safety features limits the potential for serious injury or death in accidents. Finally, increased awareness of driving safety and the consequences of unsafe driving in teens, parents of drivers, and adults would encourage drivers to abstain from distracted driving and instead employ safe driving practices.

Although I have never personally experienced a car accident, I have seen others suffer the consequences of unsafe driving. My parents often use their phones in the car to text friends, look at directions, and make calls. Not only does their behavior put them at danger, but as passengers in their car, my sisters and I are also put in danger. In addition, watching this behavior encourages the same from me and my sisters. If it weren’t for the distracted driving course I took before getting my license, I’d be much more likely to replicate their actions. With the rise of technology usage, especially in kids and teens, it becomes increasingly important to teach the consequences of distracted driving and restrict phone usage while driving. Neglecting to employ safe driving practices also puts others on the road in danger; one of my close friends at school got into a car accident because another driver on the road was looking at their phone instead of focusing on the road, and she had to wear a neck brace to school for over a month due to injuries from the crash. One of my other friends has had many close calls when not paying attention to the road, and another of my friends had to pay a large fine for not paying attention to the speed limit in a school zone, putting the lives of elementary school kids at risk. Personally, one of the hardest parts of learning to drive was keeping my mind focused on the road. Even without screens in the car or people talking to me, I would get distracted by other cars in the lanes next to me, buildings around me, and even my own thoughts. In my time on the road, I have experienced people in the middle of the street, drivers neglecting to wait their turn at four-way stops, animals on the road, harsh rainy weather, and much more that could have been extremely dangerous had I not kept my attention on the road.

To ensure heightened safety on the road, drivers can employ many techniques to stay aware and secure. Many of these practices are covered in driver education courses, but continuous review of these techniques while behind the wheel could further strengthen new drivers’ ability to recall and use them. Some examples of these techniques include routinely checking all mirrors while driving to remain conscious of traffic around you, maintaining an appropriate following distance when behind another vehicle, staying out of others’ blind spots when possible, watching your speed, and paying attention to even the smaller things, such as buckling up and following road signs. Above all else, it is important to pay attention to the road. Many crashes, both minor and fatal, are caused by a lack of attention, especially due to phone usage. Operating a vehicle is already incredibly dangerous, and distracted driving and other unsafe practices only add to this; therefore, it is incredibly important for all drivers to understand how to drive safely and avoid distractions.