Say “No” To Distracted Driving

“Let’s go, we’re going to be late”, I called out to my brother as I quickly slid into my shoes, grabbed my car keys, and hastily shuffled out of the house, slamming the door shut behind me. Despite leaving the house early, I usually end up waiting in the car for another five minutes until my brother sluggishly crawls into the backseat, half awake. Every day I drive my brother and myself to school, but my habit of leaving in a rush often causes me to drive in a nervous state. Constantly glancing at the time while driving can be distracting and make me frenzied. Reflecting on these poor driving habits, I have set up a plan to become a better and safer driver on the road.

Leaving the house 15 minutes earlier can solve my most common habit of driving in a rush. As a beginner driver, I underestimate the amount of time I need to get from one place to another. Google Maps says it takes 10 minutes to get to one place, but for me, it may take 5 to 10 minutes more. When I had a doctor’s appointment at a new clinic location, I learned to give myself ample time to get to the location. Although the clinic was 15 minutes away from my house, I left 40 minutes early to get there.

When I got to my destination though, I encountered small unexpected moments that could have delayed my arrival time had I not left the house early. The sign indicating the clinic was nowhere to be seen, but I later found it was located inside a tall office building. And as I was finding parking, I waited for an ambulance to back out, squeezing through a narrow road of other ambulances parked on the size of the road. However, because I left the house 40 minutes early, it gave me time to drive more calmly rather than frantically and accounted for possible unexpected delays. Otherwise, I would have left the house in a distracted, sloppy state, glancing at the time incessantly instead of focusing on the road. Learning to overestimate my time arrival has helped prevent distracted driving.

Aside from leaving the house, another cause of distracted driving is driving with friends. When I drove my friends to a new restaurant, I realized that talking to them, while looking at the navigation on my phone and the road can be very dangerous when driving. My navigation stopped working, so I reached out for my phone to give to my friend to fix. Although reaching and passing my phone takes two seconds to do, that moment can also result in a car crash. Now, when I drive my friends, I communicate that I want to be focused on the road and not chime into their conversations often. Furthermore, I do not make it my responsibility to drive them around when we hang out. When I do, I ensure that the distance is short and that I am familiar with the roads around.

Asides from having safe driving practices, I can also look out for others to ensure their safe driving. There was a time when my father got into a car accident while driving my brother and I to school. He left the house in a frenzy after ushering us to get into the car lest he would be late to work. Learning it the hard way, I realized the consequences of last-minute rushes and learned to get into the car early. This has alleviated my parents’ stress of glancing at the clock while driving, trying to make it to work on time.

Besides helping my parents, I also serve as a second eye for my friends. When my friends drive me around, I help lookout on the road. Rather than chatting, which can be distracting, I point out pedestrians crossing or which road to turn right and act as a second eye. This reduces their need to glance at the GPS, their mind concentrated on the directions, and drive in focus and more calmly. This is effective as my friends are also new to driving and the stakes of a car accident are relatively higher.

Getting my license is a symbol of independence, but also accountability. From leaving the house earlier to not talking while driving, I have developed safe driving skills to lower my risk and others of getting into an accident. I have also communicated with my passengers the importance of leaving earlier so I do not drive in a distracted state in the morning, which has helped with enforcing safe driving. These steps to ending my poor driving habit will be lifelong, and I will be grateful that I practice them for the sake of myself and others.