Name: Taylor Wilson
From: Houston, Texas
Votes: 0
At
2:52 pm, April 17,2019 I was almost involved in a deadly car accident
all because my friend received “LOL”. Something so small can
cause a huge ripple effect. Car accidents and deaths can be reduced
if more drivers stayed focused on the road. If more drivers
understood road safety, it would emphasize the importance of being
aware of their surroundings and possible situations they could be
involved in. As driver awareness increase on the road, the amount of
reckless driving will decrease.
Drivers
simply putting their phone down or reducing distractions, could be
two huge steps in decreasing the amount of deaths on the road
due to negligent drivers. Although, that may sound easier said than
done, these are some of the most difficult decisions young drivers
and surprisingly older drivers must make. This may seem complicated
for some, but not impossible. Here are some baby steps drivers can
take, in order to keep themselves and other drivers safe on the
road.
Drivers
can start off by using a feature that most manufacturers have
made available called “DO NOT DISTURB”. This feature limits the
amount of notifications and alerts sent to the phone. “I’m old
school I don’t have DO NOT DISTURB on my device” is something
most older drivers may say, but in fact they are wrong. Every phone
has a feature called the “Silent Mode”, this feature completely
silences the device until further actions.
Another
step that may not sound inconsequential
but
is a great start to limiting possible distractions is to reduce
the music or limiting the number of passengers in a vehicle. As
a young and beginning driver myself, I have been in a near fatal
situation. As I began to turn down my radio, I took my eyes off the
road for what seemed like a split second, could have caused me to be
seriously injured. In the moment it didn’t seem like a big deal,
but taking my eyes off the road, which prevented me from seeing a red
light up ahead of me. However, I’m glad that I had that moment
because it showed me how something so small can cause a huge
distraction. Now, I take the necessary steps of setting ground rules
in my car: No music louder than 15, the driver’s phone must be on
“Do Not Disturb” while in motion, and of course no drinking or
eating while driving behind the wheel.
It’s
key for drivers to learn the importance of safe driving. Something so
small causing you to take your eyes off the road or allowing you to
be distracted can be the one simple action that can cause you to put
others in danger and even yourself in danger.
