Distracted Driving Must End

For: 15
Against: 0

We’ve all been there. Driving 38 mph down Mission Road at 7:30 p.m. when “Dynamite” by Tayo Cruz comes on shuffle. You lift your phone up above the steering wheel, taking your eyes off the road to focus on the screen as you scroll through Spotify until you find a song that fits the sunset driving mood.

Nine times out of 10, you’ll be fine. The cop is not looking your way, the guy in front of you left enough room at the light and the dog-walker has a secure grip on the labrador’s leash. But that one time, things won’t go your way – and it might be deadly.

We’ve seen multiple crashes and fender benders in our East community in the past few months. One of these was fatal.

In the aftermath of tragedy, we have two options. We can allow it to be just another tragic event or a make it a reminder of what we need to change. We must take the latter. We need to reform the way in which we view cars and practice safer driving.

Cars are the most dangerous weapons teenagers have at their disposal. Over one-third of teen deaths are the result of motor vehicle crashes according to the CDC. That’s more than homicide, suicide and cancer combined. While practicing safer driving can’t eliminate all fatal car accidents, it’s a good place to start.

Dangerous driving is more than the scary PSAs we’ve been shown. It’s not just the Prom night video about drunk driving we’re shown in elementary school or the headlines we see plastered all over the news about a teenager who plowed through a red light with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .13. Most of us find ourselves distracted at the wheel in ways that may seem inconsequential but can prove fatal, for ourselves and others.

When you’re trying to balance a Chipotle burrito on the dashboard and a Sprite in one hand, you can’t quickly swerve to avoid a four-year-old who ran out into the street. When you’re looking over your shoulder to laugh at your friend’s joke in the backseat and taking your eyes off the road for even a second, you can easily miss the pick-up truck coming around the bend. When you’re typing the word “streak” over your close-mouthed smile on Snapchat, you won’t see the pothole on the right side of the road.

We, as teenagers, are the worst offenders of distracted driving. The CDC has reported that drivers under the age of 20 make up the greatest proportion of fatal crashes due to distraction. We especially need to be extra cautious of this as teenagers, since we are already at a disadvantage due to our lack of experience.

Driving instructors aren’t kidding when they say it’s life or death – about eight teenagers die every day as the result of a car accident, according to Edgar Snyder and Associates, a law firm specializing in personal injury. We are not invincible, and we need to be able to realize this. We cannot assume that a fatal car accident will never happen to us. It’s happening in our community, and we or our loved ones could be next if we don’t take action.

Everyone can take steps to protect each other from the dangers of driving. Instead of searching for a good song while already driving, queue up your music before you start your car or just put your favorite playlist on shuffle. Take away the temptation to read a text message by putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” when you start driving, or let whoever’s in your passenger seat read off the message and respond. Wait to take a bite of your Big Mac or a sip of your Coke until you’re safely at a stop light – or better yet, wait to eat until you get to your destination.

Even if you’re late to practice and your mom is texting you about the laundry you forgot to do, don’t take your eyes off Mission Road. Switching from “Rockstar” to “Candy Paint” isn’t more important than watching the incoming lane as you’re turning onto 63rd.

As a passenger in a car, you can do just as much action to prevent car accidents. Take away the keys of a friend who’s been drinking. Offer to navigate the way toward your destination, so the driver isn’t splitting their attention between their screen and the road. Express discomfort when your friend takes their hands off the wheel to respond to a text. Little actions can prevent a large tragedy.

We’ve all seen firsthand what dangerous driving can do. We can’t let this tragedy just be a tragedy. It’s time for us to learn.