Distraction and Prevention

As a child, I did not pay much attention to the way my parents drove, or how others drove around us. In recent years, I have been able to receive my driver’s permit and license. Being able to have the skills to anticipate danger that is about to happen has saved my life. I was taught this skill by my father who said, “Expect the drivers around you to do the craziest things imaginable, and always be aware of everything that is happening.” It is extremely important for new drivers to predict what another car is about to do. In my driver’s education class, we were taught to always be willing to wait to see an outcome of a situation before proceeding especially at intersections. A few pieces of advice my mother gave me to not be a distracted driver are to never have the music up too loud so you can hear what is happening outside the car, always put your phone away in a bag or somewhere you can’t reach it so there is no temptation, and always wait a couple seconds before going at a green light in case someone runs the red light. I have ridden with many friends who drive while also texting. This habit is very deadly because humans’ brains are not wired to do multiple things at once. To prevent this from happening, I always volunteer to send messages for them or pick the next song. This avoids any distraction for the driver and helps them focus only on the road and the car around them. To create a safer environment for myself and the ones in my car, I plan to not drive until everyone is buckled and after all distractions are taken care of. This will get rid of most of the dangers of being on the road by making my mind stay aware of the road. Distracted driving has taken more lives than it should, and we can only stop this if we properly educate the youth of the risk.