Family Car

Today’s drivers face the unique dilemma of being in the technological transition era of transportation. They must compartmentalize psychological dependencies developed from self-centered rapid deployment information sources (e.g. social media, speedy internet, Internet of Things compatibility, etc.) and switch focus for longevity and a respondent mindset. This switch can be difficult because such rapid information systems have become addicting and are increasingly accessible to the average driver.

I have been in one car incident involving the collision of two cars, there were no deaths, but my mom’s van was close to being totaled. We were sitting in the middle turning lane and a car hit us from behind while we were stationary, waiting for traffic to clear. Turns out the driver was distracted.

Automotive companies have been wagering what acceptable levels of technology can be implemented without interfering with driver focus or that does not implicitly create a distraction. An uprising of texting while driving accidents and fatalities led the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch a “Distracted Driving Campaign” that focuses on raising public awareness, providing leadership, encouraging enforcement, conducting research, and enacting regulations to “end the practice of distracted driving, and specifically texting and cell phone use behind the wheel” in 2009. Part of this plan included driver’s education through ads and other campaigns to expose the harms and statistics behind the dangerous driving practice. The campaigns wanted to encapsulate the issues with driving distracted by showing and explaining consequences the victims incur, hoping to detour around any empathetic detachments people may have due to wealth. This form of education should not and cannot be the only avenue of approaching distracted driving. The structure of how a license is obtained should change also. When applying for a motorcycle test, riders must demonstrate their situational awareness by performing maneuvers akin more so to defensive driving rather than offensive. Automobile drivers should perform a comparable set of tasks to show their situational awareness such as: how to properly swerve, loss of traction safety, maintaining a safety bubble, and the benefits of driving the speed limit. While this is not a conclusive list, these tasks force drivers to consider elements outside of their vehicle which in turn should increase overall situational awareness.

History will show that a completely successful advertising campaign to transition the then-present status quo is a phenomenon. The second phase of a good advertisement campaign requires a healthy word of mouth population. I have encouraged my friends to slow down when driving and use a couple reasonings for why. First, for my religious friends, we are commanded to love thy neighbor and treat one another as we want to be treated. I cannot imagine a time when I would prefer to walk in the street to my car and have another driver travelling in excess, relative to my perspective, and believe that to be desirable. Therefore, I must have high patience and regard, travel within posted limits. These limits typically integrate several social and psychological factors in their creation. State laws, on average, increase the speed limit in rural and open areas for reasons including, general safety and perceived speed. The safety aspect is obvious. What is the probability that an obstruction would interfere with travel and if such an obstruction occurs, how quickly would a driver be able to react? Another reason is for cost savings. Driving the speed limits does not guarantee unbothered travel, but many metropolitan lights have been retrofitted to accommodate a particular speed for reaching green lights and “rushing to wait” is not helpful. The engine of a car is most efficient within a range of RPMs, typically dubbed a cruising speed. Heavy stops, hard acceleration, and frequent braking creates an inefficient energy system that requires more energy than engineered and thus leads to premature wear and tear. This multifaceted approach along with the art of peer pressure helps motivate my friends to think differently when driving. They know I care and want nothing but the best for them.

Another way to reduce driving deaths is hiding education behind the façade of responsibilities. Every car must have a safety and/or emissions inspection. With these inspections come several checkpoints that drivers know to watch out for and update so they do not fail and can maintain legal road privileges. If the safety inspection included a proper tire inflation, then drivers would be more likely to maintain that pressure level. Inflating tires to the proper level is important because it can increase braking force transmitted from the pads and rotors to the tires and improve the contact surface area between the road. So why not deflate if the surface area is important? On the opposite end, under inflated tires lack the internal structural rigidity for proper maneuvering in a regular environment. The inside pressure assists in maintaining the shape of the tire and too much deflection can cause it to dismount from the wheel and eject itself from the vehicle, causing trouble for anyone near the car. With a proper inflation, drivers will not need to worry about these issues because the wheels and tires are operating within the design specifications.

To prevent driving deaths we must approach the issues as a collective rather than as individuals or chiefdoms. Driving safe should be a conscious decision made for those who you do not know and those you do. The fast life of technology contributes to a high demand, low investment shadow that encourages people to isolate themselves, yet when dealing with a mass of others driving we should all be on one accord.