Car Accidents happen daily, every few seconds, and often it is due to distracted driving. “Each day in the United States, approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver” (CDC). This consistently happening on a day to day basis is a serious problem that is entirely preventable. The fact that thousands of people get injured every week, cause millions of dollars in damages, and causing a lot of lives to be lost is sickening and irreprehensible, and this eye-opening statistic doesn’t even include drunk driving, which does so much more damage. The thing that makes distracted driving unique is that it is so common. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes in a congested area to spot a distracted driver, whether they are simply not focusing on the road, playing on their phone, or even eating in some cases. I’ve noticed it even with my own friends, where they get on their phone while they are driving. Sometimes they’ve nearly gone off the road and I’d scold them for it, and although I felt like a parent, I didn’t want to be the next victim of such a preventable accident. I’ve always tried to have as few distractions from the road as possible while driving, however I’ve found it hard to resist looking at my phone a few times and I have made a few calls while on the road, especially when I first got a hold of the wheel when I was sixteen and a half years old. However, as I’ve grown up and matured, I’ve realized that my life and my car is more important than responding to a text or snapchat from a friend. If one really needs to respond, then they should pull over to the side of the road or park somewhere. Distracted driving is an incredibly serious problem in the United States and can easily be prevented through simply staying off the phone and keeping one's eyes on the road. Another way to stay safe on the road is by using turn signals to alert other drivers of what that driver is about to do. Also going lightly on the brakes can help prevent accidents that a distracted driver could potentially cause, as the reaction time with a distracted driver is going to much slower than that of a person who has their full focus on the road. All in all, the culture needs to change on this. People need to hold other people accountable for their wreck less driving and playing on the phone while driving needs to be frowned upon by everyone. If everyone does their part, millions of accidents could very well be prevented.
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html