Do Not be The One to Take Someone’s Life

Driving while distracted is something very common yet incredibly dangerous. In recent years there has been an exponential growth of technological advancements, along with daily usage of mobile devices. This has increased the number of distractions a driver has to deal with, such as a car radio, smartwatches, cell phones, and earphones. All of which can easily divert a driver’s attention from focusing on the road. Ultimately endangering their own life, their passenger’s life, and additionally endangering the safety of other drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people in the U.S were killed in 2019 as a result of distracted driving. That is nearly 262 people per month losing their lives simply due to a lack of focus and precautionary steps. 

 

   One key step to preventing and reducing the number of tragic accidents caused by distracted driving is spreading awareness to younger generations about the consequences and reality of what can happen. One way to achieve this is to implement some sort of lesson into the high school curriculum, where teens can hear and learn from real-life examples, view numerical data, and receive advice from people who have been victims to those types of accidents.  After all, those same high schoolers are going to be on the road sooner or later, and it is better to get ahead of the problem by addressing it before it is able to happens. Society tries to shelter students, but it is time for them to know the reality of things. Looking down and replying to a message can destroy so many lives in a matter of seconds. High school students are one of the highest groups at risk when it comes to this because they are new to driving. However, some adults get a bit too comfortable because they claim to be experienced drivers. It does not matter how long you have been on the road because every time there are life and death decisions made and people need to start making the right choice.

 

   Another step that could be taken in order to reduce distracted driving is by giving tickets and fines for every infraction. Understandably, this is a step that might not be supported as much as others and even possibly faces some opposition due to the fact that everyone hates paying tickets and fines. Regardless, it is a step that would influence people’s decisions and make them think twice before allowing themselves to become distracted while driving. First, the fact that you can kill someone, yourself included, and secondly, because you can get into problems with the law. Ultimately reducing the number of related accidents. Also, money from fines and 

tickets could potentially be used to fund educational programs for youth as mentioned above. There is a need to rise and be firm with the consequences of distracted driving because it is not something that people can just move on from. Distracted driving is life-altering. It takes so many lives. It takes children, mothers, fathers, and siblings.

 

  Lastly, a final step we can all take to combat this tragic phenomenon is to start with ourselves. We can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Each person must take the initiative to become a more responsible driver themselves while at the same time holding our loved ones accountable. Being focused while behind the wheel is essential for the safety of all parties involved. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, and precious lives can be lost in the process.  If we know distracted driving is detrimental to our society, we as a whole must take action to correct the issue and stop normalizing being inattentive behind the wheel. Too many people have died, many have been left scarred for life, and a lot of these cases could have been avoided. You may think that one person can not make a big difference, but that is not true. One person can change and save so many lives by being self-aware of every action taken while driving. It may not come easy, but we can change the status quo if we work together. The harsh reality is that many of these deaths could have been avoided if the drivers had been focused and alert. We are responsible for our action as well as responsible for teaching and spreading awareness about what happens when people are distracted while driving. There are policies and steps that can be taken to help spread awareness. The need for change is now.