Mental Health Matters on the Road

I took a driver education class before getting my driver’s license and a defense driving course for my job. I learned some of the most important things in these classes that I still think about six years later. The biggest one is that a lot of accidents “happen behind you”. Either when backing up or getting hit from behind. It is important to check blind spots and always look behind when backing up. Today, backup cameras and blind spot lights make it easier, however, you cannot rely on them. It is best to always turn your head to look.

A tragedy in my community happened just a few weeks ago. My neighbor accidently backed over their six-year-old son. He was in a rush and did not look behind him before moving the vehicle in their drive-way. My dad is an EMT who administered CPR but the child experienced extensive head trauma and died on the scene. I will never forget the sound of the screams once he realized what happened. It is something I wish I never had to witness. My dad has been on the scene of so many accidents like this. He has always stressed the importance of not being distracted while driving. He does not even like to have me talk on the phone via Bluetooth in my car. Overall, education is what will help us reduce the deaths related to driving.

I think our capitalist society influences a lot of driving deaths. We are taught from a young age to be constantly busy. Everyone is always in a rush to get to work or to get their errands done. Thinking so much about everything else you need to do takes your attention away from the road. We have seen this so much in the news with parents accidentally forgetting their baby in the backseat on their morning commutes. If society promoted well-being rather than the need to constantly be on the go, people might be able to stop and think for a minute. People are constantly worried about being lazy or unproductive. So many accidents stem from being in a rush and not thinking clearly. I think the message I would want to portray to the world is to slow down. Take a breath. Think about what you are doing. The texts and emails can wait. Nothing is more important than your safety and well-being. Mental health days should be a thing. If people feel too stressed or upset, they should be able to call in instead of having to drive to their 9 to 5 while in an unsafe mental state. This might be an unpopular opinion to some, but with the new research done on mental health and the brain, it is an important concept to consider. I am a psychology major and do a lot of research on how the brain functions under stress. Ultimately, it does not function very well. Stress has similar effects on the brain as alcohol and drugs. We know driving under the influence is bad, so why would we drive when in a state of distress? My life goal is to be an advocate for mental health since it pertains to literally everything we do. I hope that within the next few years we can end the stigma surrounding mental health. I would love for everyone to understand how important it is to take care of our mental health. Take care of it before it gets you in an unsafe position or accident.

Something I enjoy doing every morning is a short five-minute mindfulness practice. It helps me to clear my head and get ready for my day. I have found that I am a lot more focused following this short meditation. It brings me an overall sense of wellness to my day. I would argue that it makes me a better driver to. Learning to settle the thoughts in our minds allows for clearer thinking. This can apply to when we are on the road. I used to experience the “how did I even get home?” thoughts where I did not even remember what route I took home. Now that I am in a more relaxed and calm state, I am mindful about what I do. I think if you asked most people what was happening when they got in an accident, they would say they were not paying attention or got distracted. Increasing mindfulness makes a better driver and therefore decreases the likelihood of an accident happening.