A man sits in his beat up work vehicle, trapped in 30 minutes of grid-locked traffic. He’s been there for a long time and when he attempts to look ahead, it doesn’t seem to be clearing up anytime soon. He thinks, “Well, I mean, since the traffic isn’t moving, I figure this is the perfect time to do some scrolling.” Pulling out his phone from the center cup holders, he opens up TikTok and starts looking through his For You Page. The traffic inches forward. Instead of taking his eyes off his phone, he takes his foot off the brake and briefly touches the gas. His intentions were to move up slightly, no need to even look up from his phone. A harmless two second decision that caused him to ram quickly into the trailer in front of him. Steel against steel causes small sparks at impact, the trunk of his vehicle crumples like paper, and his airbag immediately inflates. Thus, yet another traffic hold-up is caused by this split decision.
This is the scene my boyfriend and I witnessed while driving down the Pontchartrain Expressway in New Orleans, Louisiana. It wasn’t the first accident that occurred on the highway that day, and it definitely wasn’t the last. In school, we’re always warned about being safe after a party. Teachers attempt to skate around accusations of underage drinking whilst acknowledging that it occurs. They tell us to call a trusted parent, to not drive while under the influence, to order an uber instead. This education helps students prepare for possible situations. The repetition of these lessons ingrains these lessons into our minds, so even if we’re intoxicated, we can lean on what we’ve been taught so much in school.
Unfortunately, I have yet to see a lesson about safe driving in school. Only when you go through driver’s ed do you learn about dangerous situations that occur while driving and how they could be avoided. But, I don’t think this is enough. The lack of repetitive courses in school educating students on the dangers of driving on the road causes more harm for people who are learning to drive or have already received a license. Four eight-hour drivers ed courses are not going to be effective for long-term memory. Louisiana already does not have enough public education and on top of that the lack of importance placed on driver safety is alarming.
Even though the obvious lessons of not drinking while driving or keeping your eyes on the road seem obvious, ignorance is rampant and causes thousands of accidents a day. While the incorporation of repetitive classes in schools is necessary, it isn’t the most effective method to share important information. A large portion of the population is already without education, so repetition via schooling will not be effective to those without access to it. In order to solve this, I propose creating more social media content about the dangers of driving under the influence or texting and driving.
I know that everyone has seen a few ads on these dangers, but, at least for me, they are few and far between. I see only one of those ads biweekly if at all. In order to make sure a message stays in someone's brain, they need to see it every day. If I saw ads that warned about the aftermath of people’s actions behind the wheel from real people, I would be terrified to make one mistake on the road. I would never pick up my phone in the car, constantly aware that other people’s livelihoods are in my hands. One single glance off the road could be the difference between making it home for dinner or ending up in the hospital. These reminders through daily commercials, ad pop-ups, or social media content could be the difference between life or death.
Maybe if the man I witnessed crash into the trailer had opened up TikTok to a harrowing story from a family as a result of driving recklessly, he would have thought about his decision and returned his phone to the center console. If only he had been reminded about the dangers of the smallest decisions, he could have avoided destroying his car and getting injured by the impact. I believe that small messages go a long way, and one video can remind someone to focus on the road for their own safety and others.
Everyone is human, and everyone makes mistakes. But when that mistake causes bodily harm to people with families and friends, it can destroy lives. With that idea in mind, I know that when I start driving I will make sure that my phone stays out of reach and out of sight. I will never drive under the influence, and I will wait until I cannot harm anyone in order to check any notifications that pop-up. It is small things that can change a life, and by putting in the work to actively avoid those distractions, you can save a life.