A speaker came to my school a few weeks ago and told us something that has stuck with me every time I have gotten behind the wheel: “Driving is not a right, and it is not a privilege. It is a responsibility.” It is a responsibility that needs to be taken more seriously than it currently is. Driving while distracted, drunk, or intoxicated could permanently change lives, and not for the better. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous and could be eliminated by minimizing distractions or making people more aware of the dangers.
Driving while distracted can wield terrible and possibly life-threatening consequences. When focus is lost at the wheel, even for a split second, anything is possible. The vehicle could run off the road, hit an animal or pedestrian, or collide with another vehicle and its passengers. Any of those scenarios can lead to a fatality. Even if a driver is distracted and gets into a nonfatal accident, the consequence could be major repair and medical costs, or even a severe debilitating injury. When people drive distracted, they take on the risk of having to pay thousands of dollars, major injury to themselves and/or others, and even death. Driving distracted is not worth the risk of extensive costs and injuries to the driver or others on the road. Distractions on the road need to be eliminated so these outcomes never happen.
A possible way to cut down on distracted driving would be to remove distractions. There are many, many diversions involved when driving a car. It can be extremely difficult to avoid them. Some drivers get distracted by music, and every vehicle has radio, CarPlay, etc. Passengers can also be a huge distraction, whether they are extremely talkative, loud, or even backseat driving. All these considered, one of the greatest distractions to drivers is their cell phone. Phones are constantly making noises and trying to give people the content they want to see. It can be difficult to resist looking at the small screen to check messages or social media. All these distractions are great hazards in a car and need to be ignored, if not removed. Each driver knows their strengths and weaknesses, along with their common distractors. As licensed drivers, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves and others safe on the road by removing distractions. If a driver knows they are easily tempted to look at their cell phone, for example, they need to take action by turning it on Do Not Disturb, stowing it in a bag, or not giving themselves access in a vehicle. If someone is easily distracted by others being in the car, they should have a conversation with any possible passengers about actions that distract them, putting many lives in danger. Since many do not practice self-control when getting behind the wheel, laws can help keep people safe and focused on the road. For example, in Missouri it is now illegal to look at a phone while driving. This is a great way to cut down on crashes due to distracted driving. Additionally, Missourians are constantly reminded of the law and why it was put in place, so they remember to stay focused.
If people were more aware of the dangers of distracted driving, they may decide to stay focused. It is difficult to avoid a consequence you do not know is a possibility, so becoming aware of dangers is an important responsibility for every driver to fulfill before ever getting behind the wheel. If an individual chooses not to take the time to familiarize themselves with the dangers of driving while distracted, a viable strategy would be to broadcast them. An effective way to convince people to drive safely would be to create a commercial starring a victim of a distracted driving incident who tells their story with the message that all the pain and cost is avoidable by staying focused in the driver’s seat. This could air on television during the news, talk shows, or popular programs. The more people there are in the audience, the more effective it will be. This would instill a healthy dose of fear into the back of the viewers’ mind, which would naturally make them more cautious and careful. There could also be questions added to the permit test about distracted driving, its consequences, and how to avoid it. Many teenagers study for this test, so they would be involuntarily drilling the information into their minds and committing it to memory. It may even benefit society to create a mandatory training program about safe driving practices and staying focused. This would also help prospective drivers who may not have a responsible role model teaching them the rules of the road. Awareness is the key to creating attentive drivers.
Driving while distracted is extremely dangerous for everyone on the road and could be stopped by removing distractions or making information about the dangers easily accessible to everyone. Distracted driving takes so many lives every day, and it is the responsibility of the driver to protect everyone on the road. Drivers need to be made aware of the possible consequences of their actions, no matter how unlikely. Since that speaker came to my school and taught us that driving is a responsibility and not a privilege or even a right, I have noticed a shift in the way I drive. I am more cautious and aware of my surroundings. Every day I try to do my part to keep everyone safe on the roads. I believe that if everyone did the same, we would have a better, safer world.