No, I have never been in a car accident, nor have any of my family members, but one of my family friends fell victim to distracted driving. Sitting at a drawbridge, on a sunny South Florida day, waiting for the boats to pass by, a truck failed to stop properly while approaching the bridge. Without warning, the truck crashed into our friend’s car’s rear end, sending her and her husband straight into her son’s car in front of them which contained his wife and her grandchildren as well. Thankfully, her son, his wife, and her grandkids were free of injury; however, she and her husband still suffer from that crash. The driver of the truck could have caused something much more serious than just injuries; he could have killed them. My families’ friend’s pain was caused by distracted driving, is this how we are going to live nowadays? Always fearing that other drivers could potentially crash into you or your loved ones? What can we do to reduce driving fatalities? Should we continue to educate people on the importance of hands-free driving, or should we start to enforce laws pertaining to hands-free driving? Driver education is extremely important in reducing the number of fatalities, but as we have been trying to properly educate people on the importance of following basic traffic laws and being aware and alert on the road with no avail, enforcing laws on hands-free driving should be taken into consideration when trying to reduce the number of traffic fatalities.
As of today, there is a growing realization of the dangers of distracted driving. Approximately 38,000 people die each year on U.S. roadways” (www.asirt.org) and “approximately 8 people every day in the U.S. are killed in crashes that are reported to have involved a distracted driver” (cdc.gov). And while the number of total driving fatalities has decreased from 2017-2019, the number of distracted driving deaths per year has increased. The question then arises, what can we do to change the way people view distracted driving, and what can we do, as a community, and as a country, that can properly educate people and change the way people drive? I constantly see posters and advertisements about the risks of texting and driving and driving under the influence, but these efforts have not stopped people from doing those very things. Is a high risk of death not a good incentive for people to stop? Should we, as an entire country, make texting and driving a misdemeanor traffic offense like Colorado or New York, or should we continue to try and educate people on the risks involved in such behavior?
Statistically, creating hands-free driving has decreased the number of distracted driving related deaths in certain states. Educating people on this fact can help reduce traffic fatalities, and although some may find these laws inconvenient for a time, the outcome could save thousands. I know from my own experience that when I put my phone out of sight, it immediately refocuses my mind on the road, and I become more thoughtful about my safety and the safety of those in the car. And while enforcing this law may not stop everyone from texting or taking a phone call and driving, it can help many drivers refocus their minds on the road and the people around them.
But even though 48 states have enforced these laws, what if the other 2 states chose not to enforce distracted driving laws? What steps should they take in educating people on distracted driving? I believe that they should start educating teenagers, or people my age. Those years are the most influential years of a person’s life and helping them understand the dangers of texting and driving is extremely important. And while we teach these ideas in school and online through drivers ed classes, it helps to hear it from parents and other people who can influence a teens decisions. If we educate parents and possibly internet influencers on traffic fatalities related to distracted driving, and help them teach teenagers about it, that could help the new driver resist the temptation to answer a call or text while driving.
As an 18-year-old driver, I too am tempted to look at my phone and answer texts from friends and family. So, what can I do to resist the urge to text and drive, and what can I do to encourage others and be an example for them? I find, from my own experience, that how loudly I play my music effects how focused I am on the road. When I turn the volume up, I become more focused on the song and the lyrics rather than the cars around me. I love music, and when I am driving alone, it is a must-have in my car. I am not asking to turn off music completely in the car, but I believe that turning it to a lower volume would help decrease the distraction. As I previously mentioned, putting my phone out of sight, keeps it from my mind. When I am driving with a friend, I can encourage them to not text and drive, and if they urgently need to respond to someone, I could be the one to respond for them so they can keep their focus on what is in front of them.
Distracted driving is a huge problem today and continues to affect thousands of people across the United States. What steps we take today can affect whether or not distracted driving fatalities continue to increase. It all begins with educating people on the effects of texting and calling when driving. But when that fails, it is possible that laws enforcing hands-free driving should be enacted. Hopefully, as we continue to gain awareness for the harm caused by distracted drivers, people will begin to stop worrying about answering a text and become more focused on the road and people around them.