
Name: Yangli
Votes: 0
Better Safe Than Sorry
Better Safe Than Sorry
Would you jump out of a plane without checking that all your safety measures are working and your parachute is intact? No sane person would, just as no sane person would theoretically drive recklessly. However, every day millions of drivers drive dangerously, believing habits such as distracted driving, driving while intoxicated or drowsy, and speeding and tailgating are perfectly safe practices. After all, you need to get to your destination somehow. Of course, in every case, they couldn’t be more wrong. Especially vulnerable to this mode of thought are the young drivers on the road, who, because of their young age, believe they possess a certain amount of invincibility. How do we encourage young drivers to practice safe driving while behind the wheel?
According to Bankrate as of 2022, approximately 3,142 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2019. According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, this makes up 8.7% of all crash fatalities in 2019 (Coleman). Actions such as texting while driving, changing the song on your phone or changing radio stations, reprogramming the GPS, getting lost in conversation with passengers, or even something as simple as taking a sip of water all fall under distracted driving. Many, including my own friends, believe that these actions have little to no impact on their driving, but even in relatively safe zones such as a Target parking lot, not paying attention will cause my friend to back her car up into a car coming down the aisle. It may also cause another friend to swerve last minute to catch the exit he almost missed due to distracting conversation. In the moment, I would try to warn them as soon as I noticed something coming up, but the only way to prevent this is to educate the populace about the real dangers of distracted driving through anecdotes in all forms of advertising so that they see the threat is real. This way, they will consciously limit distractions and stay focused on the physical act of driving which will enable them to avoid potentially fatal dangers. Distractions in the form of glare or other light can be neutralized with polarized sunglasses while driving. Polarized windshields would be a bad idea since it results in a smaller amount of visible light entering and would make it even harder to see at night. To counteract that limitation, we could make polarized sunglasses more commonplace and available.
In a similar vein, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving while sleepy is incredibly dangerous. Driving while intoxicated or unfocused due to drugs is illegal. Current laws, enforcement, and advertising are already doing a good job at encouraging responsible young drivers not to participate in driving in these states, and for those who ignore them, a possible solution is to install detectors in future car models so that the car will engage in a safer driving mode. However, that will not be widespread for a long time. Driving while drowsy is just as dangerous, though fewer people are aware of it. It’s akin to taking a test early in the morning while being deprived of sleep; you hope you do your best, but you physically can’t. It’s easy to develop highway hypnosis, which occurs when the driver has been driving on a stretch of highway for an extended period of time. If a passenger gets tired just riding in the vehicle, a driver would naturally be infinitely more exhausted. A good way to combat this would be to place more frequent signs on the sides of these roads reminding the driver to take a break at the next pit stop.
Finally, some drivers are the most consciously irresponsible by taking part in speeding and tailgating, leading to accidents and collisions. They shorten the stopping distance, which makes them unable to stop in time in the case of a sudden stop or when coming up on a blind spot. Though we can encourage drivers not to participate in these activities, it can only do so much. Therefore the best course of action is to teach defensive driving tactics as widely as possible while enforcing current speeding and tailgating laws. We must again encourage young drivers to be especially vigilant for speeding vehicles. As for tailgating, the first step is always to remain calm, then deal with the situation. Some methods that can be taught are to gently tap the brakes so the driver can see the brake lights in case they are tailgating unintentionally. Another method is to move out of the way and let them through. Better to have them in front of you, who is paying attention, than you in front of them, who would be unable to come to a stop in time should it be required. Of course, it’s not a guarantee that everyone will care enough to learn these, so a possible solution is to make a defensive driving course mandatory for licensed drivers. It’s useful information everyone should know and it’s better not to wait until somebody has caused an accident before giving them the knowledge they need to prevent one.
We can then encourage young drivers to stay safe on the road by advocating for it, making polarized sunglasses more commonplace, placing more frequent reminders to rest, educating them on defensive driving, and continuing to enforce existing laws. While insurance usually covers some of the cost of an accident and lawyers can be called upon to settle claims, the real cost of a car accident can be someone’s life. The power and responsibility that comes with driving a 2-ton vehicle (or more) combined with the ease with which humans can develop unsafe driving habits make it more important than ever for everyone to drive safely, as one reckless driver can endanger everyone and cause great damage.
Work Cited
Coleman, Sara. “Distracted Driving Statistics 2022.” Bankrate, 7 Mar. 2022, www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/distracted-driving-statistics/#:%7E:text=Distracted%20driving%20causes%20about%203%2C000,2017%2C%20according%20to%20the%20NHTSA.