I hadn’t known anyone who’d died in a driving accident until about a week ago. Hit by a distracted driver, a friend I’d met two months ago just passed away. Though I did not know him for too long, I saw his friends crumble when they found out. Barely an adult, his entire life was simply revoked in an instant. He was loved, he was loving, and he was deserving of a life. Decreasing the number of distracted driving-related-deaths is possible and attainable. Rest in peace to him, I’m so sorry his life was cut short. This essay is dedicated to him.
Just a glance at a screen is really all it takes. A glance at a screen instead of the road ahead. Just a few seconds, a few precious seconds is all it takes for an erased lifetime–because the road ahead just isn’t amusing enough for the eyes and brains of my generation. A few seconds for their lifetime, or the passengers’, or the children in the backseat who haven’t outgrown their patterned car seats just yet. All for those few seconds of dopamine. All of those for a few seconds of disconnect from reality.
Distracted driving is not the only reason for car crashes, but it’s the one I’m most vocal about because it’s upcoming and all-too consuming for us young people. We, the youth, especially, have a problem that no other generation has seen before: screen and technology addiction. Glued to them–our cellular devices have taken our eyes away from many things, most concerningly: the road. I can’t remember the last time a day passed where I didn't see at least one person texting and driving.
So what’s the solution? How can we make the roads a safer place for everyone? Like most issues, education is the answer. Throughout history, education has been the driving force of change for many things like social movements, economic changes, liberation and innovation. People have demonstrated that change results from education. People are told that driving safely is important, but perhaps a lack of knowledge on victims prevents action. We know not to text and drive, but there isn’t a personal connection to it until we strike one. For instance, we’ve all heard that texting and driving is ‘bad.’ But how about the CDC’s report that 9% of all car crash fatalities (and growing) involve texting and driving (CDC). How about the story of the seven-year old boy who was left paralyzed after being hit by a woman that was texting while driving (Moore)? Telling people ‘eyes on the road’ only goes so far. How about informing young drivers that around 3,000 lives are lost at the hands of distracted drivers every year (CDC)? Sharing stories of those lives matter because people are more than just stats and numbers; they are lives that we can help remain. Nine lives are lost every single day because of distracted driving (CDC).
The matter of life or death means seriously addressing such ignorant acts like checking a text whilst on the road. Truthfully, even from peers, it’s a failed test of morality in my eyes as soon as the phone comes out mid-drive. However, maybe the real issue lies within a society where everyone is expected to be constantly checking their phones for work/school/socializing no matter what physical and mental costs. This new sense of urgency to always know what's happening certainly plays a part, but personal responsibility for lives still must be taken.
I’ve lost one person in my life due to unsafe driving. However, I see unsafe driving practiced almost everyday–especially with younger drivers. Of the peers I have that have gotten into accidents, nearly all of them have mentioned being on their phone during the time of the accident.
I am not an exception to the rule. As a young driver, it is my obligation to abide by safe driving habits as everyone else should. I can’t say I’m a perfect driver; I’m certainly still learning. But it’s my duty to keep the lives of pedestrians, other drivers, passengers, and myself in mind as I drive. This means lowering my music if it’s distracting, abiding by the speed limit, eyes on the road, keeping both hands on the wheel, and certainly not using my cell phone while driving. This also means speaking up when I see my driver attempt to send a text message with our lives behind their seat. For their life, for my life, for the lives of everyone: we have to speak up when we see unsafe driving practiced.
Safe driving should not be optional. Though treated as such, its consequences aren’t optional either. My friend’s parents will never have their son back. His closest friends will never see him laugh again. My heart goes out to his family and friends but I know they just want the person they love back. To all reading: please speak up when you’re in the car with an unsafe driver. Please, yourself, drive safely. No day is promised, but another day certainly is more likely with safer driving practices.
Work cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Distracted Driving | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center.” Www.cdc.gov, 3 Nov. 2020, www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html.
Moore, Lindsay L. “7 Real Life Texting & Driving Horror Accident Stories.” Family Orbit Blog, 13 Apr. 2020, www.familyorbit.com/blog/texting-driving-stories/.
Just a glance at a screen is really all it takes. A glance at a screen instead of the road ahead. Just a few seconds, a few precious seconds is all it takes for an erased lifetime–because the road ahead just isn’t amusing enough for the eyes and brains of my generation. A few seconds for their lifetime, or the passengers’, or the children in the backseat who haven’t outgrown their patterned car seats just yet. All for those few seconds of dopamine. All of those for a few seconds of disconnect from reality.
Distracted driving is not the only reason for car crashes, but it’s the one I’m most vocal about because it’s upcoming and all-too consuming for us young people. We, the youth, especially, have a problem that no other generation has seen before: screen and technology addiction. Glued to them–our cellular devices have taken our eyes away from many things, most concerningly: the road. I can’t remember the last time a day passed where I didn't see at least one person texting and driving.
So what’s the solution? How can we make the roads a safer place for everyone? Like most issues, education is the answer. Throughout history, education has been the driving force of change for many things like social movements, economic changes, liberation and innovation. People have demonstrated that change results from education. People are told that driving safely is important, but perhaps a lack of knowledge on victims prevents action. We know not to text and drive, but there isn’t a personal connection to it until we strike one. For instance, we’ve all heard that texting and driving is ‘bad.’ But how about the CDC’s report that 9% of all car crash fatalities (and growing) involve texting and driving (CDC). How about the story of the seven-year old boy who was left paralyzed after being hit by a woman that was texting while driving (Moore)? Telling people ‘eyes on the road’ only goes so far. How about informing young drivers that around 3,000 lives are lost at the hands of distracted drivers every year (CDC)? Sharing stories of those lives matter because people are more than just stats and numbers; they are lives that we can help remain. Nine lives are lost every single day because of distracted driving (CDC).
The matter of life or death means seriously addressing such ignorant acts like checking a text whilst on the road. Truthfully, even from peers, it’s a failed test of morality in my eyes as soon as the phone comes out mid-drive. However, maybe the real issue lies within a society where everyone is expected to be constantly checking their phones for work/school/socializing no matter what physical and mental costs. This new sense of urgency to always know what's happening certainly plays a part, but personal responsibility for lives still must be taken.
I’ve lost one person in my life due to unsafe driving. However, I see unsafe driving practiced almost everyday–especially with younger drivers. Of the peers I have that have gotten into accidents, nearly all of them have mentioned being on their phone during the time of the accident.
I am not an exception to the rule. As a young driver, it is my obligation to abide by safe driving habits as everyone else should. I can’t say I’m a perfect driver; I’m certainly still learning. But it’s my duty to keep the lives of pedestrians, other drivers, passengers, and myself in mind as I drive. This means lowering my music if it’s distracting, abiding by the speed limit, eyes on the road, keeping both hands on the wheel, and certainly not using my cell phone while driving. This also means speaking up when I see my driver attempt to send a text message with our lives behind their seat. For their life, for my life, for the lives of everyone: we have to speak up when we see unsafe driving practiced.
Safe driving should not be optional. Though treated as such, its consequences aren’t optional either. My friend’s parents will never have their son back. His closest friends will never see him laugh again. My heart goes out to his family and friends but I know they just want the person they love back. To all reading: please speak up when you’re in the car with an unsafe driver. Please, yourself, drive safely. No day is promised, but another day certainly is more likely with safer driving practices.
Work cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Distracted Driving | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center.” Www.cdc.gov, 3 Nov. 2020, www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html.
Moore, Lindsay L. “7 Real Life Texting & Driving Horror Accident Stories.” Family Orbit Blog, 13 Apr. 2020, www.familyorbit.com/blog/texting-driving-stories/.
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