The Art of Safety

The
Art of Safety

Today,
there is a common trend in maintaining social contact with others
through the notorious device known as the cellphone. Evidently as a
result of the constant need to be on a device, the leading cause of
car accidents is in fact, distracted driving. The first step to
reduce the number of deaths as a result of irresponsible driving is
by spreading awareness. It is common knowledge that an individual
should not text and drive nor drink and drive. However, many are not
aware that 32% of traffic fatalities are caused by intoxicated
driving, the primary cause of severe car accidents is caused by
distracted driving, and more than 32,000 individuals lose their lives
from these unsafe practices every year. When it comes to spreading
awareness to ensure all individuals are cautious, it is more
impactful to show the catastrophic repercussions of irresponsible
driving as opposed to simply stating them. Personally, I have
witnessed a family friend constantly using their cellphone while
driving and I didn’t think much of it because she was an
experienced driver. One day we missed a stop sign, hit the back of
another car, and then that car hit another car. Thankfully, it was
not a severe accident, but it easily could have been. From this, I
was enlightened with the fact that no matter how old, experienced, or
confident an individual is with their driving there is no excuse to
be distracted while driving. After I experienced this, I became aware
of the features on my phone that prevent unsafe driving. I realized
that my phone has a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature. Once
it is activated it detects when an individual is driving and will
automatically turn on. Many apps such as Spotify also have driving
features that minimize the number of buttons one must click to skip a
song. It also enlarges the font to prevent the need to hold the phone
closer to one’s face, which would have led one to lose focus from the
road. It is true that not all individuals can simply stop using their
cellphone while driving, especially when a GPS is needed to find a
specific destination. With that, I then found that the app Waze also
has a setting that does reminds the individual to stay safe and not
be on their phone while driving. There is also an option that does
not allow the individual to use the app unless they identify as the
passenger. Fortunately, I was able to discover and spread awareness
about these features once I experienced the dangers of distracted
driving firsthand. Frankly, it would be irrational to expect society
to each experience a car accident in order to realize reducing
negligent driving practices is vital for our community. So, I did
what I could and decided to use my social media platforms to spread
awareness and support in a school event called “Shattered Dreams”.
I was unable to participate, but I made sure to spread the word and
bring as many peers of mine to the event solely because it was an
engaging and impactful way for them to physically see what reckless
driving could lead to. All in all, distractions lead to mishaps which
may end a life. It is vital to be aware and cautious because even if
you are a careful driver, another driver may not be. So, in taking
simple steps to increase social awareness about such crucial topics
can change someone’s life.