That Idiot on the Phone and What to do about it

“Look at that idiot on the phone!”  I do not think I have been on a ride with my father that he didn’t shout this phrase.  As a passenger, my role was primarily to kick the back of his seat and throw tantrums.  I a lot older now and I am driving myself to school.  What a distraction I must have been.  I would observe him swerve or honk at some moron who weaved into our lane to keep us safe.  If mom was there, she would scream at him for being too close, too aggressive or about jamming on the breaks.  I see now they were both correct.  So many drivers have their eyes and hands on a cell phone and not the road.  Sadly, I also see cigarettes, big gulps, and half wrapped hamburgers being shoved up one’s gullet blocking the view of the road ahead.  How did we get here?  All I can say it’s getting worse.  There are laws to fine these behaviors, but enforcement is almost non-existent.  It terrifies me as a new driver, and I would like to see some more corrective actions.  The covid pandemic reduced the numbers of patrol officers, and the proliferation of weapons made active-duty officers weary of pulling anyone over.  However, I believe the first step in making driving safer for everyone is for more stringent enforcement of distracted driving laws.  A consistent and well-known official response would help correct other driver’s behaviors.  My second idea to improve safety is something that I wish existed, especially for me.  If only there was a phone app that would identify when the user was driving and giving it the ability block the phone from all functions while in the driver’s seat.  It’s slightly more complicated because it would require a chip near the steering wheel which would interact with the phone in addition to a password lock on the app that would prevent disabling or deleting it.  A non-beeping and non-ringing phone are much less a distraction.  I doubt this solution would be widely distributed since it would require parents to enforce the modified behaviors, and many don’t care.  Often, parents are equally guilty of similar transgressions.  Fortunately, my parents refuse to hold or look at the phone during trips but, when it beeps there is an instant reaction to look in the direction of the phone.  It’s very challenging.  Lastly, I think a safety campaign is long overdue.  A public service announcement might reach a greater portion of drivers.  Ironically, the message would be carried through the same dangerous mediums of tik-tok and Instagram.  Hopefully using a character like Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl, could provide a real-world warning.  A new cartoon styled character could appeal to parents and children alike.  It’s especially important because parents are very mailable when a child speaks from the rear seat to remind him or her to drive more carefully because “Mr. Silly Car” said so.

Another great fear for me is road rage.  So many people are distracted by their cell phones, racing to get somewhere quicker, or tailgating because they think the person in front will move.  Any time I feel the need to honk the horn I am terrified.  What if they have a gun?  Will they start following me all the way home?  As a little girl, I once saw a man get out of his car, come to our window and scream at my father for honking when all he did was to let the driver know the way was clear.  Dad remained calm and left the window up, but it could have been much worse.  There’s no solution for the craziness of other drivers but maybe in drivers ed some time could be dedicated to learning how to diffuse situations like this.  I clearly remember my father’s advice one day when someone was riding on our bumper.  He stated, “Alexandra, if anyone does this to you, slow down as much as possible so they can go around and bother someone else.”  Stanger danger has taken on a whole new meaning.

Sadly, the biggest road issue which scares me more than any other is drunk driving.  Knowing that I was being as safe as I could be on the road and still have a chance of dying is terrifying.  Apart from the current deterrents I would suggest one more.  I believe that anyone who has been pulled over for three or more DUIs should be assigned a mandatory neon orange license plate.  This plate would notify local officers to be extra observant of such vehicles and allow them the ability to do a random check.  Since driving is a privilege and not right, I do not believe this would violate any constitutional rights.

Lastly, there is one more distraction I must highlight - hot women.  My “ancient” father doesn’t seem to notice how often I see him ogling a hot young girl.  He’s married and should know better.  My role is to remind him it’s not safe. I cannot see a solution for this, maybe uglier outfits?  Still, as I’m only a high school senior, I will leave this challenge to you.  

Road safety is very important to me.  I obey the speed limits and traffic signals.  I try to avoid riding at hours when drunk drivers will likely be on the highways, and I’m glad my car has every safety feature available in a modern car.  I only hope others care about this too.