Don’t Become Another Statistic

You wake up one morning, get dressed, grab your cup of coffee, kiss your loved ones and head out the door. On your way to work, a distracted driver looks down for a split second to answer their phone, runs the red light and slams into the side of your car. Within seconds that was your last cup of coffee, last time seeing your family, and last time to ever walk out the door. Distracted driving is not an accident and at least 1 in 4 of all car collisions involve phone use. It is important to remember that a driver’s learning experience is never complete, and driving is one skill that always has room for error and improvement.

It is important to remember that while driving you are always at risk of a collision due to inexperience or laziness. For many drivers it is crucial to buckle up every time you drive as if was your first time ever. Drivers should maintain a level head when driving in order to avoid becoming too confident in their driving skills. When drivers believe they have all the skills to text and drive, eat and drive, put on make-up and drive, and countless other tasks, this is when accidents occur. Drivers education plays a big role in the accident rate and survival of many drivers. Without driver education, drivers would be unexperienced on the road and putting others in danger. I believe that all licensed drivers should have to retake their drivers test in order to renew their license. This would ensure that drivers keep up with their safe driving skills and are reminded that they can never be too experienced.

Distracted driving is seen numerous times every day. No one is safe when you have inexperienced and uneducated drivers. Car collisions can happen in the blink of an eye. While out for lunch with family, I waited at a stop light when a driver clearly not educated enough hit the back of our car. Luckily everyone in the car was only startled by the impact, but the driver who hit us was clearly distracted or inexperienced. A ticket was given, and they were ordered to take the drivers safety course. This course is crucial when giving drivers tickets, as it is a humble reminder of where they started and where they still are now when it comes to driving. Next time you go for a drive glance at the cars next to you and see who they are turned back talking to, who they are texting, what food they are eating, what song they are putting on, or what directions they are trying to understand. It is time to enforce change and make a difference on the driving world. Asking for citizens to stay off the phone, stay educated, and focus on the road is not working. It is time for vehicle manufacturers to implement software in vehicles that disable phone use until the car is in park. Cars need to have built in GPS systems and non-changeable radio stations until the car is at a stop. By implementing these changes, it will eliminate the factor of phone use in distracted driving. Prices for these vehicles should be relatively low and insurance companies should add additional benefits for owning such cars. By doing this it will encourage others to make the change to not only save money but save their life and the lives of those around them.

Strategies you yourself can take to be a safer driver include storing all distractions away from reach, eating while in park or at the restaurant, and communicating to all possible contacts before beginning the drive. For passengers, you can task responsibilities such as reminding you of the speed limit, changing the AC or radio, and watching for other distracted, inexperienced, or uneducated drivers. By executing these strategies, you are able to limit your chances of causing a collision and taking the life on an innocent driver.

It is important to remember how your actions can affect the livelihood of others. One small action can create a momentous impact not only on your life, but the life of others. It is time to not just be a driver, but to be a strong educated driver. Take action and make a change before you become just another statistic.