A Split Second Decision is Second Too Late

 In the blink of an eye, the world around us can change due to a decision that is made by either our own driving decisions, or those made by other drivers around us. While there are many outlying factors that can cause accidents, the responsibility of becoming a driver that is aware is on each of us individually. 

Texting, talking on the phone whether hands-free calling or not hands-free, reaching for an item within our vehicles, or adjusting our radios utilize seconds of time that can cause a life-altering accident. Unfortunately, something as simple as turning our heads to look at a passenger can be the cause of tragedy.

I have witnessed first-hand the aftermath of poor decisions while driving. My parents own a vehicle towing company and work closely with our local police force to remove vehicles from accidents scenes. In the past four years, we have been called to five fatal crashes, along with a variety of other accident calls. Most of these accidents could have been avoided, or at the very least, less tragic if one or more drivers had been paying attention while driving. The images of those accident scenes will forever be a picture in my mind, and that is why I strive to be the safest driver that I can possibly be.

Having been exposed to vehicle accidents at an age prior to getting my own drivers permit, I am very aware of how quickly accidents can happen, and what can cause them. Because of this exposure, I have held myself to the standard of never putting my own vehicle in gear until my phone is put away, my radio is set to the station I want to listen too, the volume of my radio does not make it so I can’t hear outside things going on around me, and I don’t carry anything inside of my own vehicle that I may need to reach for. One thing that my parents instilled in me while practicing for my driver license was to always leave myself an out and to be well aware of the surroundings. 

One way that my parents and I have tried to encourage people to avoid distracted driving, is by going to different driver education classes in our area and giving a presentation on the hazards of distracted driving. Our presentation showcases different types of accident scenarios, the cause of them, and how they could be avoided. Many times, the kids in the class have not thought about the idea of every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We talk through animal collisions, debris in the roadway, the hazards of following too closely, not being fully committed to paying attention, and fatalities. In doing these presentations, it allows us to have the kids interact and ask questions. Our top priority in speaking with soon to be drivers is to provide them driving statistics to help them make informed decisions of how they are driving. In my mind, if we can give information to these younger generations of drivers, maybe it will change their view on the responsibility that they will have when they are on the road.

By providing a better understanding of driving from a company that is on the other side of accident scenes, I believe that we have made an impact on at least a few people from each class we have gone too. 

My own personal statement is that I have committed to not driving distracted in any way. I know that a decision made by me in a single second could ruin not only my life, but the lives of family, along with the lives of other drivers on the road. I strongly believe that people who are driving distracted and cause an accident should be held accountable for their action. 

There is nothing too important to wait that won’t allow me time to get somewhere safely stopped to address. As a fairly new driver of 2 years, I encourage my friends to themselves to the same standards while driving that I do. The rule in my vehicle is, seatbelts need to be fastened prior to the vehicle being started, no phone use because two sets of eyes are better than one, and a radio station is set and left alone. I won’t risk the well being of anybody or their safety when they are in my vehicle, ever. Hopefully, others will gain that mindset as well, as we will all see a drop in statistics.