Easily Distracted

Safe driving is of the utmost importance. There are way too many people on the roads today who are doing everything except paying attention to the road. A lot of my friends who are old bikers are getting rid of their bikes because the highways just are not safe anymore. More people die in car wrecks than in any other way. The biggest killer, in my opinion, is the inattentive divers. The ones texting, making TickTock videos, watching TickTock or YouTube videos, putting on their makeup, changing clothes, Eating- I passed a young woman the other day driving erratically. At the same time, it looked like she was having a bowl of soup! Even the drunks are scared when they get on the highway now, lol!
Texting and driving are major contributors to accidents. The National Conference on State Legislatures (NCSL) estimated that up to 80% of people with wireless service use their phones while driving. At least 25% of teen drivers have admitted to texting and driving. That is just the ones that have admitted to it. We all know that that number is much higher. As they say, kids will be kids. Those kids being kids need to realize that they aren't sitting on their beds or at their desks, they are driving thousands of pounds of rolling death machines if not used properly. Driving is not like virtual reality. If you kill someone, you cannot just restart the game and get a do-over. The highest age range in 2022 was 25-35-year-olds were responsible for the highest percentage of distracted driver-involved fatalities. One out of every five people killed each year are not even in a vehicle, they are pedestrians that were struck because the drivers were not paying attention. Just last week, I witnessed a bicyclist hit and had to be life-flighted because they were run over by a young adult female driver who was placing a pizza order while driving (Hellblock, 2024).
In 2015, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) started the red thumb movement. You would paint your thumbnail red as a way of taking the pledge to stop texting and driving. Their slogan was” Stay Alive, Don’t Text And Drive. “ They also sold a specially made NTTA “W8 2 TXT” thumb band. They also had their brand of red nail polish. It seems like that movement lasted very long. It was a great idea.
Drunk driving is still a very serious issue. I am a member of M.A.D.D. better known as mothers against drunk driving. Even tipsy driving impairs the driver’s judgment. Their reaction time is slowed. Their movements are exaggerated and not predictable. According to statistics, more than 13, 524 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2022 (NHTSA, 2023). That is roughly 37 people a day in the United States dying. Every single one of those deaths had been preventable. If they plan on driving, it is their responsibility to either bring a designated driver or call a cab. There was an interesting fact on a random YouTube video about random facts. There was a man that blew a .914 on the breathalyzer. That should have killed him but he was not even acting or talking like he was impaired. It is not about whether they feel drunk or not. Drunk is drunk and tipsy is just as drunk.
According to the NSC (National Safety Council), the top three causes of death on our roadways are alcohol, speeding, and distracted driving (NSC, 2024). The NSC offers a Distracted Driving Online Course. In that course, they teach about the science behind the impact of distracted driving, the myths concerning multi-tasking, the financial and legal ramifications of it, as well as the state and local laws on it. They give real-life driving scenarios and incident reports to allow the participants to think about their risk level. They also check to see throughout the course if the participants have changed their attitudes about distracted driving.
There are a few very responsible people who turn off their phones before they get behind the steering wheel. It would be nice if there was a way that all social media platforms could be disabled once the key switch was turned on. The only things needed are driving apps and crash detection apps. It will never happen, but it is a nice thought.
Be watchful of those around you on the road. Remember that you are in a rolling machine, That machine, like any equipment can maim or kill if handled improperly. It is not your recording studio. Nor is it your dressing room or living room. You do share the roads with other people- two, three, and four-wheeled vehicles. You should watch out for them as much as they should be looking out for you. So, please before you leave the house, finish your soup.