The Cell Phone: A Driver’s Worst Nightmare

Josiah Olden

DmvEdu.org

1 August 2020

The Cell Phone: A Driver’s Worst Nightmare

I was sitting in the front passenger seat of my mom’s vehicle. We were seated at an intersection, waiting for the green light. To the left, a vehicle proceeded to turn right at a red light. Unbeknownst to the driver, another car was gaining speed, disregarding the red light in front of the driver. The car to the left of us turned right then, BAM! The speeding car collided with the moving vehicle while pieces of debris scattered across the asphalt. It was complete silence, not even a chirp, nor a beep was uttered during the crash. I sat there, sitting in the crushing weight of the silence absorbing what I witnessed. We pulled over to the side of the road, praying that the crash did not leave any injuries, or worse, casualties. Thankfully, there were no life-threatening injuries, however; we learned that the reckless driver was checking a text message as he flew through the intersection.

As a young teenager, I know that our cell phones influence our daily activities. We spend countless hours watching videos, communicating with friends, or playing games. Some might say that we are inseparable from our phones, glued to the flashing light of our screen. As a recent student in my Drivers ed class, I and many others know the risks of using a cell phone while operating a vehicle. However, most students reject this and many other life-saving lessons taught in the class. Drivers ed is an important class utilized to educate teenagers and adults about the rules of the road and how to stay safe. Even though some students repudiate the lessons taught within the class, the class has saved many lives.

From the Drivers ed class, there are many steps to reduce the death rate of car accidents. As previously mentioned, cellular phones are one of the biggest causes of car accidents, especially among teens. Teenagers become overconfident, thinking that they can use a cell phone and drive at the same time. Unfortunately, this causes many car crashes and fatal deaths. Teaching the importance of cell phone use in a vehicle to teenagers is a great step in eliminating the death rate. Administering these important lessons into teenagers repeatedly would, hopefully, make them more aware of the dangers of being distracted as they become adults. Also, I believe that it is also the parent’s job to instruct their children on safe driving skills and the dangers of being distracted by your cell phone, radio, other people, etc.

As a new recipient of a driver’s license, it is my responsibility as the conductor of my vehicle to ensure the safety of other drivers. From my past experiences, I vowed to never utilize my cell phone while sitting behind the wheel and to always be alert. Even though these vows might be extreme to some, it takes one tragedy to help somebody understand the risks of reckless driving.