Distracted Driving

Ashley Ayala

Distracted Driving

Last year, we were visiting our family in Peru. While we were there, we decided to drive around and explore the city. Dad had a map on his phone which he was constantly looking at while driving. Mom was next to him applying makeup and my brother and I were in the back seat, not paying attention. Suddenly a loud honk made me jump as I turned to the window to see an enormous truck barreling towards me. Time seemed to slow down as the large, moving figure inched closer and closer. In a pathetic attempt to save myself, I crouched down with my arms covering my head and squeezed my eyes tight. Seconds felt like minutes as I stayed in that position, wondering when I’d feel the impact of that truck slamming against my small body.

Thankfully, I never did. Dad barely missed the truck by mere seconds, seconds that could’ve caused certain death for me and my family. But what if he didn’t? Would it have been the truck that killed me or Dad’s poor decisions leading up to that moment? It wasn’t the first time he’s pulled out his phone while driving, in fact, it’s a habit he’s had for a while with his justification being, “I’ve been driving for years, I know what I’m doing.” Apparently, many other drivers have this same mentality because according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 10% of fatal crashes in 2015 were caused by drivers being distracted. 3,477 victims were killed that year, an 8.8% increase over the number of victims killed in 2014 points out an article by Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish. We could’ve been part of that statistic if we weren’t lucky and sadly, not everyone is.

Distracted driving has become extremely common in our society. I cannot count how many times I’ve seen drivers on the road distracted with small things such as phones, food, people, etc. They don’t take this issue seriously until they’re involved in a horrible accident and it’s too late. Sometimes, even that isn’t enough to convince them. Dad still takes out his phone while driving if he believes he needs to, despite the incident. It’s a habit that has been passed to my brother who only started driving two years ago. This is incredibly alarming because distracted driving behaviors are influencing younger generations who are more vulnerable to accidents.

That’s where the issue of teenage distracted driving comes in. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals that 58% of teen crashes were caused by driver distraction. A possible explanation for this significant percentage can be one or two things. Most of these teens, like my brother, have seen their parents drive while being distracted and therefore think it’s okay. Or teenagers don’t know what is considered distracted driving or how to avoid it so they do certain things that put them unwillingly at risk.

To tackle this problem properly, we need to understand what is distracted driving. NTSA defines it as, “any activity that diverts attention from driving.” These are called distractions, which traffic safety experts have sorted into three categories: manual, visual, and cognitive. End Distracted Driving explains these three in driving terms,

“Manual distractions are those where you move your hands from the wheel.

Visual distractions are those where you focus your eyes away from the road.

A cognitive distraction is when you’re mind wanders away from the task of driving.”

With these definitions, drivers can distinguish what type of actions are deemed inappropriate while on the road. Anything that fits into these categories is to be avoided in any way possible. For example, texting involves all three classifications: moving hands away from the wheel to hold the phone, directing eyes towards the phone screen instead of the road, and thinking about whatever is on the screen then what is in front. This explains why texting is one of the main players in distracted driving and sadly, mostly done by teenagers. The good thing is there are certain precautions one can take to avoid texting while driving and other distractions that could cause harm.

An article on Work Truck perfectly displays ten tips to combat this issue:

“1. Don’t Multi-Task

2. Don’t Eat/Drink While Driving

3. Avoid Complicated Tasks

4. Never Use a Phone While Driving

5. Store Gear Properly

6. Make All Adjustments Before Hitting the Road

7. Get Organized

8. Keep Eyes on the Road

9. Groom at Home

10. Never Drive Drowsy” (Knight).

These tips must be taught and embedded in the mind of young drivers starting from middle school and throughout high school. Though there has been some effort in some communities to do that, it’s better to get the government involved for there to be a significant change. Laws requiring driver safety to be taught in health classes or drivers ed classes can be passed, which should also be required by every state. Through this repetition, students will take distracted driving as seriously as drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. Along with this, the chart about the different types of driving distractions that were mentioned earlier should be taught in these types of classes. Sometimes one doesn’t know what is considered a distraction, especially if they’re new to driving. Being able to put behaviors into manual, visual, and cognitive categories allows a learning driver to be more careful. If the child is more educated than their parent, they’ll be less likely to perform the same risky driving habits as them, maybe even educating their parents. The way to stop accidents caused by distracted driving is to make the public aware of how serious it is and how to avoid it. Then, they’ll think twice before taking out their phones in on the road or any other distracting device.

Since texting is a popular distraction, especially with teenagers, one way to prevent using it while driving is to install one of the many free “don’t text while driving” apps available. Or just simply being taught to put the phone in a place where it cannot be reached. Avoiding multitasking while driving is the only safe way to drive – even using phones without hands is risky. An article on Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish states, “However, having a conversation…until you reach your destination.” (“Avoid multitasking while driving”). This is where the issue of “Distracting cars” come into play. Just like the public, many car companies have refused to take distracted driving seriously and it shows by their decisions on how to make the latest cars. “Most new vehicles are equipped…driving, these systems create moderate to high levels of distraction.” (“Are You Driving a Distracting Car?”). The most responsible way to prevent more accidents is for states to implement a law that only allows a certain age group to drive these types of cars. That or a request to reduce the number of potential distractions in them.

Ever since that incident in Peru, I started to question Dad’s driving habits, specifically how he does certain things that distract him on the road and considers it okay. Before, I thought the same thing because he and countless other drivers do it every day. Now I realize how truly tragic that fact is and what’s even worse is how people like my brother are going to reflect those same behaviors. Researching distracted driving has helped me learn more about this issue and take it seriously. If only everyone else would, maybe we would have fewer accidents involving distracted driving. There have been many movements promoting safe driving and for the public to wake up and put away their phones on the road. That’s a start, but the real focus must be on how we educate our drivers today. We scare them about stranger danger from a young age, we inform them about the harm of drugs and alcohol in middle school – why can’t we warn them about distracted driving in high school? Certainly, required health classes have time to dedicate a whole day to that. It would help reduce the number of accidents caused by teenagers texting or calling on the phone. Laws dedicating to bettering the education of drivers will be the start of a safer road. Certain restrictions may help too, like those involving distracting cars, but the important part is the awareness of distracted driving. Only then lives will be saved and distracted driving can be an issue of the past.

Works Cited

“Are You Driving a Distracting Car?” Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish, 17 June 2020, www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2019/09/driving-distracting-cars/.

“Avoid Multitasking While Driving.” Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish, 29 May 2020, www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2019/09/avoid-multitasking-while-driving/.

Knight, Cheryl. “10 Ways to Minimize Distracted Driving.” Safety – Work Truck Online, 11 Dec. 2018, www.worktruckonline.com/320993/10-ways-to-minimize-distracted-driving.

“Learn the Facts About Distracted Driving.” EndDD, www.enddd.org/the-facts-about-distracted-driving/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgY-___mu6gIVS73ACh1aiQ0zEAAYASAAEgI98_D_BwE.