Name: Sean Buchanan
From: St. Louis, Missouri
Votes: 0
Wandering
Eyes: The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Did
you know that vehicular accidents are the leading cause of death for
15 – 25-year olds? Distracted driving has become an epidemic because
teenagers and young adults are busy texting, talking on the phone,
and eating. Every day in the United States, at least nine people are
killed and over 1,153 people are injured in vehicular accidents
relating to distracted driving.
Many
drivers do not think about the serious consequences that come with
distracted driving, thus causing an increasing number of accidents.
It is for this reason that drivers ed is so important. Driver
education makes new and old drivers more aware of the consequences
that come with driving. In-class education and in-vehicle training
help drivers learn more about safety protocols and other basic
driving techniques to make the transition to solo driving easier. For
example, learning about how to drive in the rain, what to do if your
car hydroplanes or skids are important things for drivers to know.
The
government has already taken actions to decrease vehicular accidents.
The president of the United States has given an executive order for
all federal employees to not use their cellular device while driving
on federal business. The government believes that by enforcing the
law on federal employees, all American citizens will see how serious
the problem is and that the “Administration” is leading by
example. While I believe this is a good start, there is still more
that we can do to help reduce distracted driving. One option could be
implementing a sensor on cell phones that renders the phone of the
driver useless while the car is in motion and reactivates when the
car is parked.
Fortunately,
I have not been in any car accidents, however, I have seen friends
and family members being irresponsible by texting and driving. While
that is a form of distracted driving, distracted driving could also
be doing any other activity while driving for example eating,
grooming, or tuning the radio. Part of education is knowing all the
activities that contribute to distracting driving.
A
way to discourage others, myself included, from distracted driving is
by making sure the phone is put up in a secure location where it
cannot be reached while driving. One spot, for example, would be in
the glovebox compartment or the back seat. Another option, if there
are passengers in the car, allow the passengers to text or call for
the driver or pick a safe place to pull over. Many companies such as
Apple are also helping to discourage distracted driving by providing
a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode. This causes the phone to
be silent, not allowing any notifications to be heard or seen on the
home screen. An automatic message is sent saying that the person is
driving and will respond when it is safe.
Distracted
driving is an epidemic that is often overlooked, but it is up to
everyone to do what they can to discourage distracted driving.
