Driving without Distractions

I have never been in a crash by a distracted driver that I know of. But, I have been in a car crash before and it was very scary. Because of this, I have conversations with my family about the dangers of distracted driving and I take precautionary measures to keep myself safe on the road as well as to keep myself focused on driving. Unsafe driving could be remedied by future engineers, like me, creating a system to put in a car that immobilizes the car until all electronics are out of the driver’s hand. With advancing engineering, we could be on a pathway to where there are no more distracted drivers.

One way I keep myself safe from distractions on the road is by going through a short safety checklist before I drive. I put my phone on silent and then place it inside the center console. Then, I make sure I have no other distractions that could affect my driving. For example, I turn on my radio and find the playlist I want to listen to before I leave. After I finish those tasks, I am ready to drive.

There are other less obvious ways to be distracted while driving. One way is driving while sleepy. According to The National Safety Council, driving while sleepy is almost equivalent to driving drunk. If the driver of a car is hitting the rumble strip, drifting, or having trouble remembering the last few miles, the driver is showing signs of drowsiness. This has caused over 109,000 crashes, 6,000 of those were fatal. One way this could be remedied is by taking turns driving on long trips. If the driver starts to feel drowsy, it is better to switch drivers or pull over then to crash. Another way this problem could be avoided is by getting enough rest prior to driving. This would allow the driver to not be sleepy during the trip. Some newer cars also have a feature that tells the driver when they might be getting drowsy and it’s time to take a break. The automatic reminder would help reduce the chance of “drowsy driving” accidents.

Many drivers eat while on the road. This could be a problem because it takes attention away from driving and focuses it on eating. This could be fixed by eating before going on a trip, or taking a break to eat. If you plan out the trip beforehand, then periodic breaks for food could be accommodated. This would reduce distracted driving citations, and also reduce the number of crashes caused. Periodic breaks may also have a secondary benefit of a rest break which could reduce chances of drowsy driving.

Some of the new “infotainment” screens in cars could be a distraction to drivers. My mother has a car with a big screen. She is used to it, but when I drive her car, she is concerned that I will be focused on the screen. My sister does not like the screen, and actually turns it off when she drives the car. This could be helped by making the screens smaller, or not letting the driver use them while the vehicle is in motion. Some cars have a Heads Up Display, a projection of speed, radio station, etc. on the windshield, which allows the drivers to monitor the car without taking their eyes off the road.

When I am on the road, I always stay at least two car lengths from people that look like they are distracted. This could be shown by them swerving over the lane or constantly changing their speed. These indicators tell me to stay far away in order to stop myself from getting into an accident. When I am driving with my family, we notice when others are distracted and make it into a learning situation. That means we discuss the situation and why it’s dangerous.

I want to major in mechanical engineering. If I get a job working for an auto manufacturer, or something similar, I could work on implementing new safety features that keeps people safe on the roads. This could be anything from major innovations like cameras monitoring the driver’s eye position, to something simple like a dedicated place to put the phone out of sight.

Driver education could help reduce the number of deaths by showing new drivers the real cost of being unsafe on the road. This could make them realize that it is not just their lives at stake, but other drivers as well. In my driver’s education class, we made a poster of all the dangers of driving, and the consequences that could come from it. Then, we signed a paper saying we will always be safe drivers. I walk past this poster every day in school, and it is a powerful reminder of the driver’s education course I took, which helps keep me safe while driving.