Death by Distraction

Safe Drivers make safer lives. According to the Wall Street Journal, there were over thirty thousand fatal car crashes nationwide, in the year of 2021 alone. In my opinion, current driver’s education programs do not do enough to encourage new drivers to be safe. While the rules of the road and laws regarding driving are made very clear, young and inexperienced drivers are not informed well enough on safe driving practices. Specifically, on the subject of distracted driving. Driving while distracted is the leading cause of fatal road accidents in the United states. Distractions can be manual, drivers removing their hands from the steering wheel; Visual, when the driver averts their eyes from the road; or Cognitive, when the driver’s attention is held by some other task. Distractions usually come in the form of texts or phone calls (a combination of all three types), but can also occur because of other passengers, roadside attention-grabbers, and other unexpected sources. A huge part of driver education should include one thing: focus. When driving, the only things a driver should be focused on are the road, the vehicles around them, and the vehicle they are controlling. This is something that was drilled into my own driver’s education by my parents, but the standardized program for the rote learning portion of a driver’s test cannot express this importance nearly as well.

Another important role of drivers’ education is to last. Many things, from mathematics to literature, are forgotten easily after being learnt. However, the rules of the road, and safe driving habits cannot afford to be forgotten. Many adults in the United States have lots of driving experience. They believe this experience and knowledge makes them immune to accidents- and as a result, become more comfortable with driving while distracted. In a recent survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, they found that 45% of adults ages 25 to 39 admitted to texting while driving.

The solution to reduce the number of driving deaths should be obvious, then. Change the approved drivers’ education courses to put more emphasis on focus, and being alert while driving. Everyone is aware of the dangers of drunk or intoxicated driving, but in the minds of those unaware of the consequences, driving while talking or texting can’t be all that bad. By increasing awareness on roads, We can reduce the number of accidents and fatalities every year. Additionally, even older and more experienced drivers can be taught safe driving practices. Another potential solution takes some pressure out of the driver’s hands- and into the distractions’. Limits on roadside advertisements and attractions, such as a maximum size or brightness, could reduce the risk of drivers becoming distracted on the road.

I personally know many people who have had their lives changed by driving accidents. Many have lost family members to traffic accidents. One friend, who I have known for years, has a close relative who injured a bystander while driving intoxicated.The relative was returning home to celebrate my friend’s birthday with the family, when he hit a mother and child. I myself was involved in a serious car crash at the age of 12. My father was driving, and I was in the backseat when we were hit hard from behind. The woman driving behind us was looking at her phone, and failed to see the red light and did not stop. Because of this crash, my dad had to wear a back brace for over three years, and it gave him great pain. I was unharmed, but can still vividly remember the incident. These stories are far more common than many people realize. Nearly every person in the United States has experienced, or knows another who has experienced a road-related injury, or even death.

I think encouraging drivers to be more responsible, and to take ownership in being safe while driving is the best way forward. Personally, I tend to put my phone in airplane mode while driving, in order to prevent any chance of looking at it. I also limit myself to low or average volumes, when listening to music while driving. I know and understand to never, never drive while intoxicated in any way. Beyond just limiting distractions for myself, I always make sure I am prepared and ready to drive. When driving, I feel awake. I feel alert, and I feel cautious. All of these things are necessary to avoid danger on the road. By setting these limits for myself, and exercising self-control, I become a much safer driver.

In conclusion, unsafe driving is a problem that plagues the whole of America. Far too many lives are lost every year, due to negligence, inattentiveness, or distraction while driving. By encouraging the people of our communities to be safe drivers, and by exercising that safety upon ourselves, any other person can have the chance to save a life.