Drive Safe Essay

Driving is an everyday activity that a lot of people contribute to. I myself do not drive because I have yet to get my driver’s license. It is very anxiety provoking to learn how to drive, especially when a lot of people are on the road. Watching the daily news only makes me more paranoid to drive. They only report and COVID-19 and car accidents. A large part of these accidents are a result of distracted drivers. The world would be safer if people were not distracted while driving.

What exactly is distracted driving? Distracted driving is, “The practice of driving a motor vehicle while engaged in another activity.” The most common distraction is being on a mobile device. Most people are either recording, texting, or talking on the phone with someone. Another distraction is food. Everyone loves to eat. Food is a distraction because while eating, you cannot always focus on the road. You can drop hot food on your lap and cause an accident by swerving.

Additionally, another dangerous and deadly distraction is being intoxicated. Being high or drunk is dangerous because your inhibitions are impacted and one is not necessarily in their right mindset to make good decisions. Here are some facts 3,700 civilians l

are losing their lives every single day on the road. Approximately 1.5 million people die from a road crash each year.

In my opinion, distracted driving is both murder and an accident. I state that it is an “accident” because being a distracted driver is not a pre-meditative act; you did not know your “distraction” would result in hurting someone. It is murder because you brutally killed someone because of ignorance and negligence. I understand that people make mistakes, but the law is the law and you are breaking the law (in some states) and hurting someone in the

process.

Personally, I have experienced being in four car accidents throughout my entire life. Luckily, I have never been hurt. I use my personal experience because I was truly blessed; however, there are many people who were not as blessed as me, and their families were left to plan their funerals due to a distracted driver. The unnecessary and untimely death of a loved one is hard to process and leaves families angry with the haunting question of, “What if?”

The top five solutions include, but are not limited to: Turn off your cellular device; Get a hands-free device in case there is an emergency; Secure all living beings in the vehicle; Eat before or after you drive, not during; and if you need a GPS, program it before driving away. If it is necessary that you need to change your GPS, stop somewhere safe and reprogram it. There are families, children, and animals on the road. Please take that into consideration when you are about to distract yourself while driving on the road. Protect yourself and others on the road. Stay safe and be responsible, it is really that simple!