Shut it Off

Driving is one of the greatest responsibilities a teenager has. From being able to get themselves to and from school, or going to a friends house, or even just grabbing lunch; driving unlocks many possibilities for a teenager that allows them to be more independent and not have to rely on others to get around. But with all the benefits of driving comes a responsibility to be safe and do what’s right.

I’d like to start this essay off with a familiar situation that all teenage drivers have felt at some point. You’re driving along, maybe on the highway or around a school, and your phone vibrates. Immediately your eyes get wide, your heart starts beating faster, and your mind starts with the split-second process of making a decision. Subconsciously weighing your options: “there’s no one around me, I can take a peak JUST to see who it is,” “I’m only going 20mph, how bad could it be?” “I guess there’s no police officer around me.” Struggling to awkwardly pull your phone out of your pocket for a few seconds, but then you finally get a hold of it. For just a second you look down from the road. Maybe it’s a friend request. Maybe it’s a text from your friend asking “when are you going to get here?” Maybe it’s a reminder for an assignment you have to turn in by 11:59pm. You think to yourself “see, there’s no danger in me glancing at my phone!” At that point, you’re feeling confident with your driving skills, and you think to yourself “well now that I got my phone out of my pocket, what harm can it do to send a quick reply?” You unlock your phone and respond to that friend request, or text, or email, etc. Knowing that you’re doing something wrong, but still going ahead with it; glancing at the road for a millisecond here and there.

In that moment, your life and the lives of those around you is in limbo. What if a kid decides to cross the street while you’re in the middle of responding? What if the light turns red and you don’t even see it? Is it worth it? Yes, you may have gotten away with it every single time before that, but are you willing to take that chance and roll the dice again? What happens when something does inevitably go wrong? Before this scenario gets out of hand, and before I run down the many tragic repercussions of events like these, we must examine this issue at the source. Our brains are wired (for better or for worse) to immediately check our phones when we hear a ding or feel a vibration. That is a scientifically proven, subconscious human act that is especially heightened for teens and young adults. Teenagers, more than anyone, have immense fear of missing out; and many young people feel the compulsive urge to respond immediately out of fear of losing friends, or missing out on a joke, among dozens of other reasons. It may sound irrational, and quite frankly it is, but unfortunately there is nothing that we can physically do to stop that urge and that compulsion.

But let’s stop ourselves from ever having to make that decision to fight our basic human urges. Shut your phone off when you get in the car. That’s it! It’s an incredibly simple solution to an incredibly complex issue; but it prevents our brains from firing off the signals that push us to look at whatever notification is coming through. Anyone who cares for you will understand if you don’t respond immediately, and most phones now have a feature that alerts others when your phone is off or on Do Not Disturb mode. People will understand. Your social media friends will understand. It will keep you safe, it will keep those around you safe, and it will prevent you and your family from ever having to deal with one of the tragic situations described above. It would be great if us teenagers could set the example for other drivers to not be distracted by phone use; because if teenagers are able to give up their phone for a few minutes, anyone can.

Drivers Education is important for all teenagers to go through because it not only presents the rewards of driving, but also the inherent dangers and responsibilities that come along with a license. For me personally, it emphasized the importance of staying focused and alert while driving, and I love the opportunity to set the example for other new drivers by avoiding distractions by shutting off my phone.