Work Smarter, Not Harder

I’m not worried about my driving, but I do constantly worry about the vehicles around me. There is always someone texting on their phone or reaching back to hand something to a child in the backseat while taking their eyes off the road. People don’t always pay attention to signs saying “one lane ahead” or “entering construction zone”. It isn’t difficult to notice these things if you are staying aware of your surroundings, but most people would rather play Pokemon Go or eat their McDonald’s cheeseburger.

In America, we have become reliant on always being entertained even if it’s putting us at risk while on the road. We don’t think twice about flipping the radio station or changing the song playing even though it is distracted driving. I was happy to learn during my driver’s ed class that a new distracted driving law was being put into place at the time. It may not stop people, but it is a step in the right direction to lessen accidents caused by reckless drivers.

I always wonder if many adults realize the number of children looking up to them on a daily basis. What kind of example are we setting if we are texting on our phone while driving? Many of the cars passing by may have a backseat full of kids who see you doing that. You might not think anything of it, but neither will they when they’re behind the wheel later on. “Everyone does it” is not a good excuse. “Everyone” might be cheating on a test, but that isn’t an excuse for you to as well.

Noble County, Ohio is a big stickler on teaching about the dangers of texting and driving. A few years back the community lost a well-loved dance teacher because of a person who decided that it was okay to be on his phone while he was driving. The lady that was killed in the accident left a legacy because she was such a big part of the community. Her sister regularly came in for the driver’s ed lesson involving distracted driving and accidents. It was already an emotional lesson, but hearing it directly from someone who had been affected made it that much harder. Many of the dancers from that studio found that to be the hardest part of the entire twenty-four hours’ worth of lessons. Driving is not a difficult task, but we can make roadblocks for ourselves and others just by choosing to not stay vigilant and do our duty as responsible drivers.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’ve been in a car accident, but I was involved in what I would call a near miss. My mother has epilepsy, and she had a seizure while driving my little sister and I to a meeting one afternoon. She simply kept her foot on the pedal and let go of the wheel as we drifted into oncoming traffic. I never understood the meaning behind having your life flash before your eyes, but that day I genuinely thought I was going to die. My mother didn’t even know she had gone into a seizure. She was confused why we were heading back towards the house because she didn’t even realize she had run off the road and turned the vehicle around. I can still picture the pickup truck coming toward us that swerved into oncoming traffic just to avoid hitting us head-on. Not all accidents are because of distracted driving, but most seem to be. I was emotionally scarred because of that incident, so I can’t begin to imagine what other people have experienced.

Drivers should know the risks they are taking when they get behind the wheel. There is a reason there are such strict laws about drinking and taking other substances when it comes to vehicle operation. Medications aren’t giving a mere suggestion when they say on the bottle that you should not be operating a vehicle. It’s telling you not to take that risk. It’s interesting to me to see the statistics for drivers my age. It’s no wonder so many people are getting into accidents when friends let other friends go to parties alone. Watch out for each other. How would you feel if you told your friend not to drink knowing that they are driving themselves to a party where there’s a good chance they will have a few drinks before driving themselves home. I wish we stressed more about having a designated driver or even setting up an alternative ride for people. We shouldn’t stop at prom promise. Yes, kids will drink, but what about once they are of legal age? Nothing is stopping them except the work it takes not to get caught. We need to work smarter, not harder when it comes to taking care of each other. Look out for others, don’t set a bad example for future drivers, and make sure that you are aware of your surroundings. If everyone just thinks about the impact of being behind the wheel maybe we could decrease those statistics and make the roads a safer place to travel for everyone.