Always Learning

I haven’t seen any of my family members drive irresponsibly to the point they’re reading a book at the wheel – like I did see last week. Light reading aside, I have been a passenger in moments when the driver pulls their phone out, glancing between it and the road. Other times, the driver takes their phone out while at a stoplight to refresh their messages, send a quick Snapchat, or scroll through a social media platform for the minute we aren’t in motion; the light turns green and they hastily put the phone back down. The hesitancy I feel toward ascribing these actions as irresponsible shows the gravity of these acts becoming normalized. While there have always been distractions sought out (like the aforementioned book), the number of lives put in jeopardy due to phone use is inexcusable.

The greatest significance to drivers ed is learning the possible dangers, such as when roads are unsafe, common mistakes to avoid, and how to prepare for a disaster. Just like history, to know where we are going it’s best to know where we have been in order not to repeat our same mistakes. Driving is muscle memory, making it imperative to learn and practice safe habits from the beginning. With it being muscle memory, some people have ingrained potentially dangerous practices. These can include looking at a phone while behind the wheel, not paying attention to the road ahead, etc. It is important as young people we intentionally do not normalize unsafe habits, and instead exemplify safe habits, and talk about it with our peers and new drivers!

I’ve had my license since I was 15, and there are still ways I can improve as both a driver and passenger. For one, I have experienced driving at night with a passenger who takes flash pictures. A bright flash is disruptive to my driving, and when I have asked them to turn off the flash they do for a few minutes before turning it back on. In future instances, I need to be firm about this boundary and explain why it is important to me, and why they should consider it with other drivers as well. As a passenger I will continue to be mindful of not asking the driver to look elsewhere, not playing loud music when they need to navigate, and instilling these same practices while I drive.

Different weather patterns, seasons, and times of day are some of the settings that affect us as we step into the car. Being sober, awake, and alert are some of the key factors for a safe driver, not even to go into the necessity of not being over exerted emotionally, which can influence cognitive thinking. There are many safe practices I can take to be a better driver, because there are so many instances that can be improved. I look forward to safer roads which every person will help create.