We are in control…

My hand brushed the ground, frantically moving around to find the buzzing phone. “Where is that dang thing?!” I thought to myself. I had a hand on the wheel, a foot on the gas, and a mind that was completely distracted by a ringing phone. The phone and my hand finally met- “phew”-and I sat up straight to see a man, woman, and their two dogs just a few feet in front of the vehicle I was driving… I was in control. I was the one determining where the car would go. I made the decision to take my eyes off of the road for a simple phone call. I caused the car to veer to the side. I could have been the one who ended a life.

400 fatal crashes are caused each year by texting and driving, which increases to a frightening 30,000+ from distracted driving as a whole. Although my distracted driving didn’t end in any fatalities, it very likely could have. This experience was terrifying, and embarrassing, but most importantly eye opening. The day after, I found the couple’s address and went to their house to apologize. I explained how terrible I felt and extended the promise that I would be a safer driver from here on out. After conversing more, I was surprised to learn that the woman’s brother had died a few years back after being hit by a distracted driver. If I could go back in time, of course I would’ve changed where my focus was in the moment. But I would not change what I learned from the close call- too often people’s lives are in jeopardy because someone like me is doing something other than focusing on the vehicle they’re steering.

It takes about 5 seconds to read the average text message. 5 seconds seems like such little time, but in 5 seconds, one has the potential to drive 360 feet. When put in perspective, five seconds turns into much more than “quickly reading a text message”. It is time where the eyes are taken off the road, and opportunity for danger is invited in. As soon as the cell phone is picked up, the human brain and hands immediately become engaged with the phone, the field of vision narrows, and there is less brain function focused on road activity. Whether it be sending a message, viewing social media, or changing the music, anytime spent on the phone while driving clearly increases the likelihood of a collision.

So how might one combat this? First, it’s initially important to have teens understand what and who they put at risk when they check their phones while driving. I’ve found it to be increasingly helpful to ask myself these questions when I drive: What will be more expensive- the price of listening to an unwanted song or the price of what it might cost to repair any damage brought to the car? Is the text message worth a lost life? What would you regret more- not being up to date on instagram or ending your own life? These questions not only help me understand what is clearly more important, but they also provoke fear which, in moderation, is essential to safe driving. Overconfidence leaves room for the belief that we are capable of skillfully balancing driving and texting, drinking, putting on makeup, etc. Fear is what provides us with the reality that the only safe thing to do while driving is focus entirely on driving.

However, without world-wide awareness, having an understanding will ultimately not decrease the fatalities. In order to ensure safety for everyone on the roads, there needs to be a stronger effort in informing everyone about the risks of distracted driving, and a higher encouragement in responsible driving.

In the U.S. more than 71% of high school seniors have their driver’s license. Why not take these said 71%, and create a monthly school-provided seminar that takes time to help reinforce what was briefly learned when receiving a driver’s permit. If students had the chance to hear the stories, dangers, and losses of those who have had experience with the matter, on a personal level, not only would awareness be gained, but there is a far better chance of something being learned and remembered. Through her studies, phycologist Peg Neuhauser found that teaching through the use of storytelling generally tends to be knowledge that is remembered more accurately and for a much longer amount of time. Facts learned through stories are nearly 20 times more likely to be remembered as opposed to statistics alone.

When a statistic is projected on a highway overhang, yes, it is a nice reminder, but it is simply not enough. For the sake of the safety of every driver/passenger in a vehicle, let there be a greater, more engaging way the young drivers of the world can empathize and be aware of the power they hold behind the wheel. Awareness and understanding have the potential to create change, and change can ultimately lead to safety. If just 30 minutes at school every month were devoted to recognizing the effects of phone usage while on the road, the dangerous combination of teens, driving, and smartphones, could transition into a better, safer combination of teens, driving, and responsibility.