The Effects of Distractions on Driving

Driving is a privilege not a right. I remember being told this during my first Driver’s Ed class. In one ear and out the other that overused phrase went, although now looking back that sentence or mantra could have saved me a lot of strife. Driver’s education when taken seriously and done correctly helps students out greatly. It teaches students the seriousness of driving, and it also teaches proper ways to handle situations you encounter on the road. I remember in my driver’s education class we spent several weeks just talking about the dangers involved every time we get behind the wheel. It set my mind on the fact that we have to take it seriously and it is not something we should do passively since it is a serious responsibility. Driver’s Ed opens students’ eyes to the seriousness of getting behind the wheel and responsibility of driving, and also while giving the knowledge of how to handle a car and drive on the road by going over laws and the repercussion of breaking laws.

There are several things that can be done to lower vehicle fatalities. One of them is included in Driver’s Education which provides students with proper teaching and education to be able to drive. It also gives clears preparation for the rules of the road and different situations that may arise. Another step is to remove distractions within a vehicle before a student goes on a drive. This ensures they are fully focused on the road, preparing students to handle situations well and to be on guard for the dangers of the road.

In August of 2020 I was in a car wreck, one that completely totaled my car and nearly killed me. I didn’t have an injury or any physical trauma, but 2 inches any closer into the driver’s side and I would have been another fatality statistic of a distracted teenage driver. I was at a two stop, I stopped at the stop sign and then I became bored of the song playing on my radio. I began looking for another song on my display which had apple car play connected to it. Once I found the song I so desperately needed, I began to drive forward not seeing the white van that was speeding by, until it was too late. My entire front hood was crushed and smooshed in unsettling ways. I was in shock, and I had no idea what happened to me or to my car. I screamed for I’m not even sure how long, but I couldn’t hear a sound other than a slight buzzing noise that was so loud it filled my entire head with pain. I could not get out of the driver side door, so luckily the men from the van I hit came over to help me and were able to pry open the door enough to let me wiggle my way out. After I got out of my car I sat on the side of the road and cried as I looked at my car. I realized how quickly my life could have been ripped from me. Life is a gift that is precious and be treasured but when you get behind the wheel distracted like I was; you risk it all and disregard it for what it is, a gift, and forget how swiftly it can be ripped away at any moment. I played with that fate when I looked at that display console before looking at the road. I will never again throw away my life for something as simple as not having the song I wanted.

I was distracted and because of that little distraction I could have lost my entire life. I lost several months of normalcy. Terrified for weeks on end of driving, nightmares of getting in another accident, and confusion about how I was still alive, and why I was spared consumed me in the months following. I am thankful every day that I was unharmed and that my distraction didn’t cost me everything. However, I must make sure this distraction does not complete the job and wreck my entire life and put my family through excruciating pain and grief over not instructing their daughter better about the seriousness of driving. To keep myself from being distracted by my radio and switching songs while driving, I have figured out several ways to keep my eyes from drifting off the road to my display console. The first step is before I leave, I will put on a playlist of songs I want to listen to that day or during that drive. Another tool I have in my car is Siri. I can use my voice activated Siri in my car to change the song without having to remove my eyes from the road. I can simply say ‘Hey Siri’ or press the voice command button which allows me to play whatever song I want by asking my car to play it by name. Also, when riding with friends I can ask them to take my phone to be the DJ. Finally, in situations where I cannot switch with Siri or voice command, I will choose to focus on the road rather than trying to listen to a 3-minute song. My life and getting home to my family is more important than trying to listen to the newest songs.