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Driver Education Round 3 – The dangers of distracted driving

Name: Katrina Blais
From: Liberty, New York
Votes: 0

The dangers of distracted driving

1.6 million car crashes are caused by cell phone distractions, according to the National Safety Council. Even with newer cars having more updated technology to reduce the need to pick up a phone while driving, these applications could cause a driver to be even more distracted than a phone. A phone could be kept out of the way, secured just out of the driver’s line of sight. A touch screen on a car, though, is right where the driver can see it and be distracted by everything moving on it. People in his day and age have short attention spans and are attracted to looking at anything that is moving – these things catch the eye. When the song title changes, or the navigation system changes the angle of focus, people tend to look because this movement – and the curiosity that comes with it – draws the eye. Even I admit to being guilty of looking at the screen every few moments to see what song is coming on the radio next when I am driving.

Phones, though, can cause a bigger problem. A car screen is most likely limited to a few things – radio, navigation, calling, weather, and the time. A phone, however, has the ability to distract a driver longer because of the appeals of social media, text messages, emails, everything that the car screen has, and more. This causes drivers to be more easily distracted, and for longer, by their phones than by any other distractions. Especially with phones, compared to the radio, the ability to pick exactly which song we want to listen to and exactly that moment in time is much more appealing than listening to songs chosen for us.

So why, then, am I qualified to tell others not to use their phones or look at the screens on the car? I have been lucky enough to have good drivers in my family. My mom, my dad, my grandparents, my sister, and even me. So while I would sit in the back seat when they drove on the highway, I would be looking out the window at other cars. There were some drivers who were constantly, and I mean constantly, looking at their phone while driving on the highway. For some of them, it was so bad that they would not even glance up as you passed them or to check the car in front of them. This is a scary idea. When you and hundreds of others are driving over 55 mph, and you are on your phone, never acknowledging the dangers that could be around you. Some people, I believe, do not realize that cars are dangerous. When you step into the driver’s seat, you are in control of a roughly 3,000 pound weapon. It can hurt you and everyone around you if you are not careful. This is something I think about every morning when I get into my car to drive to school.

So, to those drivers who use their phones while driving, I offer another of my thoughts. I think a good way to reduce a dangerous driving habit, such as texting or using social media while driving, is to make a habit of putting your phone somewhere you cannot see it, but where it is easily accessible in case of emergencies. If a driver’s phone is not near them, it will lessen the urge to go on it and eliminate its ability to draw the eye towards it. And, instead of just having to pick it up from the cup holder, the driver would have to reach to another part of the car or open a compartment, for example. Most drivers would not want to do that because it takes your eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for several seconds or minutes and is a much more mindful task than scrolling on your phone while driving. Another good way to reduce dangerous driving habits related to phones is to silence the driver’s phone completely. Putting the driver’s phone on “do not disturb” or “focus” creates an environment where the driver will have less reason to grab their phone – if they cannot hear it, they might forget about it or have no reason to go on it.

Now, I realize that, as I said before, many people will not heed my advice or suggestions. So, I offer another thought of mine. Driver’s education is an important step in reducing the number of driving-related deaths because it teaches people how to react to dangerous situations. It also teaches people why it is necessary to be a good, cautious driver and to pay attention to all surroundings. Think less of the phone itself – the urges one may have to go on it or look at what notification or song just popped up – and instead focus on those around you. Maybe you do not have someone else in the car with you, but the person or other vehicle you hit will. Truly, though, even if no one else is in the car with you, are you deeming your life as expendable enough that the desire to live long and achieve your goals is less than that of the want to drive distracted?