Name: Hannah Jones
From: Bowling Green , Kentucky
Votes: 0
My heart raced as I felt the impact of the
crash before I could register what happened. My mother looked at me;
only then did I realize I was crying. We had been driving through a
green light when we were rammed by another car who had ran a red one.
What was the culprit of this crash? It was a cellphone. Yes, of
course it was the driver who carelessly diverted his eyes, but with
an increase in distracted driving, phones— and people’s
willingness to look at them while driving— have become an issue.
Because of the increase in both social media
and the ease of accessing them, the use of smartphones has increased.
In drivers ed, I was astonished when the teacher did not
mention the dangers of distracted driving. We had discussed and
practiced the ends-and-outs of road safety, but he never discussed
the dangers of the small device he held in his hand. Though I believe
drivers ed must begin to address phone usage, it has played
a large role in reducing accidents. It provides a safe, structured
environment for inexperienced drivers to practice the intricacies of
driving. This environment is key to developing safe driving habits.
The first step I need to take is within the
private sphere. With my family and friends continually practicing
unsafe habits, I firstly must help those closest to me. Because if I
am able to help educate those around me, I know they will be able and
willing to help educate others. We need people to assist drivers in
becoming safer, but we also need a community of safe drivers to help
inform others. Once we successfully create a large community of those
who practice and teach safe driving habits, the focus of the campaign
should land on what has caused it: social media. With many drivers
using social media, a campaign for safe driving should be launched on
platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and HouseParty. This
epidemic is not an issue of catching and punishing, but instead it is
one of educating and assisting. As in their purpose, schools must
also begin to educate youth on the dangers of poor driving habits.
They should have materials available to give to students which will
use statistical information and testimonies to help sway a student
from making a disastrous decision.
We live in a world where car crashes are
shrugged off as a normality, but what if we could change this world?
What if car crashes— especially those with fatalities— were seen
as odd or as improbable? What if students and adults were informed
about the dangers of driving? What would the world be like then? The
future may not be written yet, but I am certain that a strong
commitment to change will help aid in decreasing dangerous driving
habits. We can not incite change unless we work diligently. I will
work diligently to be part of the community; will you join me?
