Producing Responsible Drivers

For me, learning to drive was both an exciting and terrifying experience. The thought that someone so young and inexperienced would be allowed onto a road full of other vehicles was intimidating, and I never really felt ready for it. What made it even more daunting was the fact that, growing up, I was constantly being told stories of friends, neighbors, and even family members getting hit by other vehicles while driving. For someone already scared of operating a car, this made it even worse. The cause of these accidents was always one of two things; alcohol, or of course, distracted drivers.

Distracted driving is an issue that has been around for decades now, and with the rise of the mobile phone, the number of distracted-driving related accidents has risen exponentially. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, [and] talking to people in your vehicle”, and now kills approximately 3,300 people each year (NHTSA). So, what is the importance of driver’s education in solving this issue? Driver’s education is a crucial factor at play with new and inexperienced drivers. By teaching new drivers to be aware of distractions both in and outside of their vehicle, driver’s education helps new drivers keep both themselves and others safe. These drivers are provided the skills necessary to both recognize distractions, and find safe ways to deal with them, such as turning down the radio before driving if it is too distracting, or asking friends to be quieter if they become too loud.

My own personal experiences since I started my driving journey two and a half years ago have shown me the dangers of distracted driving and the consequences of not being aware of one’s actions. One such example happened with a friend one morning before school. We decided to get coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts together right after she had gotten her license, and ended up running very late. When we finally got our coffee and were leaving the parking lot, she got distracted trying to grab her coffee, looking at her phone to check the time, and panicking when she saw how late it was. As we pulled out of the parking lot, she ignored a sign that said “WRONG WAY”. I tried to warn her, telling her she couldn’t go the way she was going, but she was so distracted by her panic that she didn’t listen to me. She ended up turning into the left two lanes of traffic, unable to go to the right lanes because of a median that divided the road, and we were left driving towards oncoming traffic. I was terrified, frustrated, and in utter disbelief at what had happened, and when I asked her why she hadn’t listened to me she replied by saying that she had done the same thing three or four times already. I couldn’t believe that she had been so distracted while driving on a regular basis that she had driven towards oncoming traffic more than once. Thankfully, no one was hurt, however, after that, I no longer felt safe riding in a vehicle with her, which limited the amount of time we spent with each other. Looking back, this situation is a strong personal reminder of the dangers of distracted driving.

So how can the number of deaths related to driving be reduced? What steps can be taken to make the road safer for everyone? The biggest step that can be taken is to of course reduce cases of distracted driving. One easy way to do this is by choosing to put your phone in a spot that can’t be reached before driving. Our phones are one of our biggest distractions, not just while driving, but in life in general. By placing it in an area where it is not easily reached, the chances of grabbing it to send a text, answer a phone call, or worse, watch a movie (yes, I have actually seen someone doing this) are significantly reduced. Another big step to take in reducing the number of deaths related to driving accidents is to, as my grandmother would say, “drive defensively”. Oftentimes it is very easy to zone out or become unfocused on our actions while driving. By ensuring that one stays aware of their surroundings it is much easier to drive safely and anticipate hazardous situations. One more crucial step that can be taken to help reduce driving-related deaths is perhaps the most fundamental; follow the rules of the road. This includes but is not limited to being aware of pedestrians, following the right-of-way correctly, being aware of speed limits, and adjusting driving based on weather conditions.

For me personally, there are a few steps that I can and try to take in order to ensure that I am safe on the road. One of the most important things that I try to do is to place my phone in a location that makes it hard to reach so that I am not tempted to look at it, text on it, or make a phone call. I also try not to drive when I feel tired because I am aware of my tendency to become unfocused when I don’t feel alert enough. Something else that I struggle with is following the speed limit because I can be impatient, especially if I am running behind schedule. For this reason, I try to always make sure that I have an abundance of time to get to wherever it is I have to go, whether that is work, the dentist, or a doctor’s appointment. As for helping others be safe drivers, I try not to be too loud, I never try to show a driver something on my phone, I keep my own eye out for hazards, and I volunteer to respond to texts or check notifications on my friend’s and family’s phones if it is something that they don’t think can wait.

In conclusion, distracted driving is a big issue in today’s society, and often results in deaths that are otherwise preventable. While there are more things today than ever to distract drivers from their focus on the road, there are also so many important steps that can be taken to help combat these distractions. Driver’s education provides all of the important fundamentals to set young drivers up for success on the road, teaching students to always be aware of their surroundings, recognize and avoid hazards, and learn to deal with a large intake of information while remaining calm and focused. Overall, while distracted driving does continue to be a prominent issue, there are many tools and practices to help drivers both young and old establish good driving habits to keep both themselves and others safe.