The Importance of Preventing Distracted Driving

The
Importance of Preventing Distracted Driving

Distractions
are shown to compromise the safety of the driver, passengers,
pedestrians, and people in other vehicles. Cellular device use while
behind the wheel is one of the most common forms of distracted
driving. I worked at a drivers ed school during high school and I
would watch the same distracted driver videos every week, laying out
the dangers of distracted driving and the horrific consequences. I
would read the statistics, the workbooks, the driver’s manuals. I
felt very proud to know I had the knowledge to be the best driver I
could be. When I am behind the wheel, I put my cell phone out of
sight and choose my music before I start driving. I try to keep the
music down when I am driving so I can hear what is around me. I don’t
eat or drink when I drive. I keep distractions to a minimum when I am
with my friends. But even with all of these precautions, I have not
been perfect. I have also been extremely lucky to have never been in
an accident and even though I have never had a close call, I often
think about what could have happened if I had looked at my radio for
a few seconds longer or if I just answered a text that I thought was
important.

I
am very aware of my surroundings when I drive because I know what the
consequences are if I am not. I have been distracted at times, most
often it is changing the music or messing with the radio. There have
been a few rare times where I thought I could mess with my radio or
change a song while I was driving and I had to break suddenly because
I wasn’t paying attention. Reflecting on this behavior, I feel
embarrassed about being seen as a bad driver. I want to be a great
driver who my friends and family rely on to keep them safe when I am
behind the wheel. That is why I am making a promise to take the time
to think through my actions when I am driving and stop myself when I
feel the urge to say “Hold on, I’m trying to get this to work”.
All of these things are in my control. I have the power to prevent
myself from being distracted. I have the power to make sure that I am
following the law and drive safely. It is so important to understand
that every driver on the road has the power to make the safe and
right decisions. I realize that no song or text or conversation is
worth taking my or anyone else’s life. If every driver put as much
thought, care, and awareness into their driving, we would be
preventing millions of lives from being affected by careless,
distracted drivers.