Distracted Driving: Not a Joke

Zaharia
Selman

University
of Georgia

Distracted
Driving: Not a Joke

I
remember the day like it was yesterday. It was a hot day in the
summer of 2016 and I had just parked the small, silver Toyota car
that I was using for my driver’s licence test. My license proctor
was talking to me about my parallel parking and how it could have
been better, but all I could focus on was the major achievement I had
just obtained. After one year of studying to get my permit and
another year of practicing with my dad, I had finally earned my paper
Class D license. My excitement redirected me from thinking about the
fact that I would not get the hard copy until a few months later, and
that I did not have a car. As I reflect on the early, exciting days
of working hard to receive my driver’s license, I cannot help but
wonder how much of a better driver I would be if I had worked as hard
once I got the license.

Distracted
driving is not a joke and unfortunately I learned this the hard way
in 2018. I had just picked up a friend so that we could go to
marching band practice. Not even two blocks from her house, as I was
talking over the music, I ran a 4-way stop sign straight into the
intersection. The car with the right-away ran straight into my side
of the car causing both of our cars to stop abruptly. With a jammed
door, a frightened passenger, and an upset father, the only thing I
remember doing was making excuses for my actions. I did not want to
acknowledge my wrongdoing for the danger that I put myself, my
friend, and a stranger in. Although it was true that the stop sign
was blocked by multiple leaves of a tree, that would not have stopped
me from slowing down to check my surroundings before going into the
intersection. Being a few years older then when I got my license, I
subconsciously thought that I could do a little thing called
multitasking. I thought that I could listen to music, talk to my
friend, go the speed limit, follow the rules of the road, press the
gas pedal then the brake, and look at my surroundings for potholes
and stop signs all at once. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.
Distracted driving is not a joke, but this is the way that I needed
to learn.

From
this experience I have grown to improve my driving habits. With
breaking any habit, though, there comes conflict and that became my
major enemy in adjusting my driving practices. The first plan of
action that I have decided to take involves ensuring that my radio is
at a reasonable volume at all times. The opposition arises when one
of my favorite songs comes on, making me want to raise the volume.
Getting into the music only makes me want to really sing the song
which in turn distracts me from driving. To break this habit, I
decided to continuously tell myself to listen to that song on repeat
(as loud as I wish) only after I have gotten to my final destination.
Usually, by the time that I get to my destination I have forgotten
all about the song, proving how unhelpful distracted driving can be.

The
second plan of action that I have taken involves my phone. When I
started driving I never used my phone once I got in the car. After a
few months, though, I thought I was experienced and mature enough to
do small gestures such as answering the phone and pressing the
speaker button. Not only was my phone distracting me from driving,
but talking was now another source of interference. To resolve this
concern I have started putting my phone on silent before I get in the
car, and turning it over so that I cannot see or hear when I get a
message or phone call. By implementing this plan of action I can
focus on driving without worrying about what I might be missing.

I
tell the story of my accident today so that new and inexperienced
drivers do not have to encounter the same mistakes. I thank God that
my accident was no worse than a jammed door, and I would not like to
find out how much worse it could have been. I have learned how
dangerous distracted driving can be. As a result, I hope to encourage
others that drivers ed is important and that all distractions
can wait because they are not worth anyone’s life. It takes a
continual effort to change being a distracted driver and that is why
I am an advocate for not becoming one in the first place.