Distracted Driving (First Step)

We are asking students to write an essay of at least 500 words detailing their most common distracted driving habits, and to describe the concrete steps they will take to put an end to those habits.

My most common distracted driving habit is when I want to change a song on my phone. This has been much easier for me to get over and to stop doing because now I have a car that accepts AppleCarPlay. It is much easier for me to stay off my phone.

When I was first learning to drive, my parents always emphasized on “No texting while driving” I always tell myself to put their phone on Do Not Disturb when they are driving. This is a feature that will also notify whoever texts them letting them know that they are currently driving. This is an amazing feature that can limit the amount of people on their phones when driving.

When drivers text and drive, their eyes are averted from the road. This can be very dangerous because you will not only endanger yourself but also anyone in the car with you is also in serious risk.

Before I started my permit classes years ago, my parents made me do a powerpoint on texting and driving. Study has shown that approximately 18% of all fatal crashes are caused by texting and driving. In 2015, there were 3,477 people killed and an estimated additional 391,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. During daytime in America, approximately 660,000 drivers were using their phone and a number of them have been pulled over since 2010. Study also shows that drivers with a handheld device are 4x more likely to get into a fatal car crash while 87% of teenagers are texting while driving. The average human has their eyes off the road for 4.7 secs due to texting and driving.

By constantly reminding myself of this, I can help myself remember that texting and driving is extremely dangerous and can take someone’s life.