Texting while driving is fatal. This concept has been drilled into our heads even before we first entered the roads. In fact, it is so fatal that is has been banned by 46 of the 50 states, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico (https://ankinlaw.com/textalyzer-app-distracted-driving/). Thus, I would never be so negligent. I would never take the innocent life of another individual. These thoughts race through my mind as I crank my radio up. I don’t like the song that’s currently playing, so I quickly glance at my phone and press the skip button. Nothing could possibly happen in the few seconds that my eyes abandon the road. Satisfied with the current selection, I sing my heart out to the newly released Luke Combs song, unaware of my surroundings and the sounds in the distance. It’s hard to believe that individuals actually text and drive; people can be so irresponsible.
I am well acquainted with this erroneous state of mind which reasons that texting while driving is the only fatal form of distracted driving. I have experienced it firsthand on countless occasions. I have listened to the lectures of my parents when my older siblings first attained their licenses and again when I finally earned mine. However, we too frequently recognize that texting while driving is dangerous, but then replace it with other careless behaviors. Too often we forget, or simply overlook, the fact that texting behind the wheel is not the only form of distracted driving. Various other habits cause motorists to take their focus off of the road, increasing the dangers in these situations. It becomes paramount to terminate these behaviors altogether as 431,000 individuals were severely injured and 3,179 lost their lives in 2014 alone due to distracted driving (https://ankinlaw.com/dangers-of-distracted-driving/). Even if the driver’s attention is diverted for only a few seconds, this is long enough to change a life forever. Although many young individuals maintain this mindset that nothing serious can happen this quickly, they fail to realize that death is indiscriminate. It can happen to any of us at any time; we are not invulnerable.
Therefore, I began to analyze my own driving habits as well as those of my family members. Through these efforts, a sense of shame transpired as a result of the reckless actions that we have taken behind the wheel. We have absentmindedly allowed countless situations to take our attention. Still, a larger sense of gratitude was experienced as we were fortunate enough not to have injured ourselves or anyone else in this process. I have recognized that I am certainly not invincible, nor can I escape death. For these reasons, when I am behind the wheel, my undevoted attention must be fixated on the road. Therefore, I have made the decision to make the road a safer place by promoting a safety plan for myself as well as the members of my family.
From this point forward, when any member of my family, including myself, enters the car and begins the journey on the road, we must understand that we have our own lives as well as the lives of innumerable others in our hands. The fate of a single missed stop sign or red light can prove to be dire. We must be vigilant and focused. In fact, while my family has incessantly lectured on the irresponsibility of texting and driving, I have recently learned that they have their own faults. Frequently, they allow their bosses to take their concentration, even when driving. They feel as though they cannot allow their bosses to wait and that their needs are most important. Yet, they are not alone as 38 percent of employees believe that it is necessary for them to be reached at any time by the phone (https://ankinlaw.com/distracted-driving-for-work/). Thus, this safety plan will involve informing my parents that these calls can wait. Their lives are far more important than an appointment or a missed business lunch.
Moreover, we must remember to keep our eyes on the road at all times because death has no time limit. In fact, it happens faster than I may have previously believed. Personally, it now becomes more important to turn the music down and to be aware of my surroundings. I must be able to perceive the sound of an ambulance or cop car in the distance because I am not the only one who matters; I am not indestructible.
Likewise, my family and I have always enjoyed talking. We often believe it is necessary to make eye contact in order to convey that we are truly listening. This eye contact has entered the car with us. Often, we have become so encompassed in our conversations that we have missed a turn, or even ran a stop sign. We have not only put our own lives in danger, but the lives of other innocent individuals have been risked as well. As a result, it becomes significant that we transfer this attention to the road before we lose this opportunity to make this change.
Ultimately, these steps for my family may not be monumental, but they may save a single life, and that is more than I could ever hope for. Still, as I take these first steps, it is essential to note that I am not taking them for me. Rather, I am taking them for the individuals in this world who deserve so much more. I am making these changes because my brother deserves the chance to raise his daughter and watch her take her first steps. My sister deserves to marry the man of her dreams and to plan the wedding that she has dreamed of since she was a little girl. My parents deserve to witness the success that I will embody one day, the success that they have sacrificed so much for. My future occupational therapy clients deserve the opportunity to define themselves by their accomplishments and not by their limitations. Thus, these distractions which arise while driving can wait, but the certainty of tomorrow cannot.
