Distractions are Deadly

The white Honda Odyssey was unrecognizable. It no longer resembled a vehicle. It was a mangled mess of metal, glass, and broken bodies. The passenger side of the car was joined to the tree it had crashed into as though they were welded together. Glass scattered the ground like a million icicles. This was the scene of the death of a young mother. She was my brother’s girlfriend’s mom. Her name was Jennifer. The driver was distracted and lost control of the car. As a result, the driver killed her friend and traumatized the victim’s teenage son who watched his mother die.

Jennifer and many others have had their lives snuffed out too soon. Something must be done to reduce the 34,000 annual deaths in the United States so that no more families suffer the nightmares like Jennifer’s children. Education is the key but not the exact driver’s education classes that I received. I believe the information taught needs to be overhauled to scare new drivers.

First, the driver’s education instructors must get the full attention of the students. Teenagers know about death and distracted driving on a surface level. If we haven’t personally been impacted by a tragedy, it’s not real to us. It’s like knowing that people die from cancer, there is a war in Ukraine, or an earthquake in Haiti. It’s sad, but the emotional impact is not there unless it hits home. That sounds so callous, but unfortunately, it’s true. I took driver’s education when the world was shut down due to Covid. The initial part of my training was done virtually. I’ll admit that I fell asleep during part of the crash video. My guess is that other students my age did the same thing. Don’t show us a video. Let us hear from the families of those who have lost loved one to feel the anguish they suffer as we listen to their stories. Take us to a wrecked car to see where our body would have been had we been in the demolished car. This sounds gory and some may say using this “in your face” approach is too much. I say 34,000 deaths are too many.

In addition to teenagers needing to be shocked into compliance, adult drivers need a shot of reality as well. They feel that because they’ve been driving “as long as you’ve been alive, ” they know what they’re doing. They develop a bit of cockiness due to years of experience. I’ve watched a close family member multiple times drive with one hand while using the other hand to locate their preferred song playlist from their cell phone. When addressed, the veteran driver confidently says that they know what they’re doing. There hasn’t been an accident…so far.

In the examples I previously mentioned, the drivers were distracted. I know that I am not always 100% focused on the road when I drive. I’m wolfing down my McDonald’s fries before they get cold. Sometimes, I’m talking on the phone. I’m hand’s free, but my attention is still taken by the person I’m chatting with. Some of my friends don’t have a driver’s license, so they travel with me often. It can get noisy. I can do better by incorporating tips I found on Geico.com. Those tips are:

1. Only use the cell phone for emergencies. This one is going to be tough. But if I model this for my friends, all of us can improve.

2. Limit the number of passengers. I’ve been trying to persuade my friends without a license to get one. If I stop chauffeuring them around, they will be forced to do so. They will see how serious I am about safety and will keep that mindset at the forefront of their minds as they work to earn their own driver’s license.

3. Avoid eating while driving. As a high school graduate, of course I think I’m grown! By getting that diploma, my friends and I think we are mature adults. Since I’m never actually starving for food, my grown self should have the patience to wait until I get home. As I share this concept with my fellow graduates, maybe they will see that being mature is more than just turning 18 and getting a diploma.

If we all do our part, we can make the roads a safer place for everyone. No other family will needlessly suffer the loss of a beloved family member. By staying focused while in the driver’s seat, everyone can make it home safely to enjoy a seat at the dinner table.