Distracted Driving: The Preventable Killer
One month before his 16th birthday, Ryan was enjoying his last few weeks of summer break before returning to school to begin his freshman year of high school. It had been a beautiful day that day, when 3 young boys were out doing the things that boys do. Ryan was very excited about his 16th birthday, when he would finally be able to get his driver’s license. He couldn’t wait to get a car and have the same freedoms that his other friends already got to experience with having a drivers license. Unfortunately, Ryan would never see his 16th birthday or experience the freedom of having his drivers’ license. His life was cut short on that afternoon by the driver of the vehicle in which Ryan was riding. Just 16 years old himself, the driver was immature, overconfident, and driving too fast. Carelessness and distractions proved too much for this young, inexperienced driver. He ran off the road, hit a ditch, and went airborne slamming into a tree at a high rate of speed. The impact of this horrific crash paralyzed one passenger and instantly killed my baby brother, Ryan.
Scenarios like this one are becoming all too familiar as drivers have access to more and more distractions that take their focus away from the road. Distracted drivers are the leading cause of car accidents—some minor and other’s fatal. My brother’s death, like many others, could have been prevented through education and by removing the distractions from the driver that caused him to focus on something other than the key motor skills that drivers use. Today’s drivers are involved in more accidents due to increasing distractions and the latest technologies.
Driving is a skill that requires your full attention at all times. There are 3 motor skills that all drivers must use in order to be a safe and non-distracted driver. First is visual, keeping your eyes on the road at all times. Second is keeping your mind on the road, paying attention, and being...