Driving Is Serious Business

I remember my
high school drivers ed classes well. It all seemed like fun
and games, and a means to get to my goal of the freedom of having a
drivers license. Being able to take the car and go out with friends
to places I wanted to go. I remember the stern warnings on how we
needed to pay attention, focus on the road, reduce or eliminate
distractions, in order to reduce the risk of injury or death from an
accident while driving. But the truth is, we just wanted to get
through this. It was a means to an end, get that all important card
so the keys to freedom would be mine. So did it make a difference
and help reduce the number deaths as a result of driving? Well, yes
to some extent, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be licensing young
drivers without it. I remember the movies we watched and pictures
they showed about accidents, and it made a difference for me and
plenty of others as well. However, sometimes, kids will be kids. We
don’t think these things will happen to us. We think we have it
all under control. So maybe what we really need is to have more
safety things done automatically, in order to help us be better
drivers, in addition to the training we receive.

My brother is a
perfect example of why some of those choices that effect safety may
be better off being decided for us, rather than left to the decision
of individuals. Cell phone distractions, along with music and
friends in cars can dramatically increase the risk of the driver and
passenger of the cars they are in as well as the other drivers on the
road. My brother was out one evening with friends, not long ago.
They were having fun, playing loud music, talking, laughing, making
plans, all while my brother should have been concentrating on the
road. He pulled out into traffic and broadsided a car traveling at a
pretty good speed. The car left the road and went up on the
sidewalk. Fortunately, no one was hurt, other than bumps and
bruises. The other car was totaled, and my Mom’s car she used to
get to work had significant damage, which kept her from driving it
for a couple weeks. They were all very lucky, considering what could
have happened. My brother completed drivers ed. He and his
friends heard the warnings, but they didn’t think it applied or was
important enough t follow.

I remember my Dad telling me about my Great Aunt. Several years ago,
she was driving down the street. A young girl ran a stop sign while
she was texting on her phone, and T-boned my Great Aunt’s car. In
that case, there was a serious injury. My Great Aunt, who had been
in perfect health had severe injuries. After many days and surgeries
in the hospital, she went to a nursing home. She never walked or got
out of bed again, and passed away about a year later, as direct
result of the accident. How very sad to have her life cut short,
because of a distracted driver.

What does this
tell me? That human nature makes it so that we can’t count on
everyone to do the right thing. Yes, some will pay full attention,
be extra careful, eliminate distractions, etc., but others won’t
and people suffer because of it. Great strides have been made by car
manufacturers to automate safety to help reduce the number of deaths
and improve safety, but it is not yet the norm, nor should they
consider the job to be complete. Until full automation of all cars
on the road has been implemented, we will all be subject to the
errors made, such as those by my brother, and by the girl who crashed
into my Great Aunt’s car. Another safety enhancement that I
believe should be a required would be a collaboration between the
cell phone companies/manufacturers and the auto manufacturers, in
order to determine how to make it mandatory to disable the phone,
loud music, texting while someone is driving, without encroaching on
the rites of passengers and the driver as well. This would go a long
way to improve safety during this period while we await full vehicle
automation in order to avoid accidents.

Having been in
the passenger seat while my brother is at the wheel, focused on just
about anything other than the road and the cars around us, I know
this should not be left up to trusting every driver. Lives are at
stake. Driving is serious business, and my life should not be
dependent on the random efforts of others to focus on the task at
hand. We have the technology. It is time to implement it.