Name: Kaylee Wobig
From: Springfield, Illinois
Votes: 0
For
some, being a safe driver takes more than knowing the rules of the
road, obeying speed limits, and being aware of your surroundings. For
some, operating a vehicle requires more than an ignition key and a
valid driver’s license. For some, being a safe driver means
managing personal blood sugar levels to ensure those levels are not
too high or too low. These “some,” like me, have Type 1 Diabetes.
High
blood sugar levels can result in blurred vision, headaches and
reduced levels of concentration thereby influencing a driver’s
capacity to drive safely. Worse, low blood sugars can cause
shakiness, fatigue, and in extreme cases, unconsciousness. Rachel, my
father’s co-worker, experienced low blood sugar levels and passed
out while driving. Her car swerved into a ditch, hitting a culvert.
Rachel was not driving recklessly, but she was impaired due to her
condition and therefore driving irresponsibly. Fortunately, airbags
saved Rachel’s life and no one else was harmed in the crash.
Similarly, side effects from common medications or simple tiredness
can impair any driver’s ability to drive safely the same way as
abnormally high or low blood sugars. To be a safer driver as well as
help others be safer on the road, it is important to be aware of your
physical condition. Take into account factors such as blood sugar
levels, alcohol consumption, drug and medication effects, and
sleepiness, and watch for these health-related symptoms in others who
are or will be driving.
Besides
explaining the basic rules of the road and the consequences of
driving drunk, drivers ed for all drivers needs to raise
awareness of healthy versus impaired driving. Recognizing when you
may be at risk of impaired driving due to your current physical
condition through ongoing drivers ed is key to reducing the
number of driving deaths. Spotting an unhealthy driving condition and
acting to keep that person from driving could save a life – including
your own. Lengthening the delay between red and green lights at
intersections and improving car technologies such as airbags, blind
spot detectors, lane drift detectors, and automated braking can all
help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. Mandatory
continuing drivers ed, including education on healthy versus
unhealthy driving, is an additional step that could be taken to help
reduce the number of deaths related to impaired driving even more.
“For
some” is really “for all.” Being a safe driver takes more than
knowing the rules of the road and obeying speed limits. It means
understanding your physical condition and knowing whether you are
healthy enough to be behind the wheel.
