Introduction
You are driving down the highway, going sixty-five, maybe seventy miles per hour. You hear an all-too familiar ding... ding from your phone. Who could it be? It is probably just your mom. Or it could be your friend with some juicy gossip. Or maybe it is your crush. You do not usually do this, but it could be important, so you reach for your phone, glance down for just a few seconds.... When you look up, it is too late. Distracted driving is one of the deadliest epidemics that is widespread in our world today. Innocent lives are taken because someone could not resist the urge to look at a text, Snapchat, or any notification that gives them an excuse to look away from the road for a few split seconds. The symptoms of this epidemic are severe. First, an itchy conscience, next increased heart rate due to a road scare, finally, death. Death to a child, a family, an elder, or yourself. In 2015 alone, 3,196 people were killed in car accidents related to distracted driving (Motor Vehicle Safety). Could you be the next case in this epidemic? Could you be the newest statistic of injuries or deaths related to distracted driving?
History
With all of the new technology today, we are easily the most distracted generation in history, including on one of the most dangerous terrains in existence, our roads and highways. To be given the privilege of driving is a great accomplishment, but responsibility accompanies this privilege. We are expected to safely operate these one-ton metal beasts on the road where we are surrounded by a herd of others, but we allow miniscule, insignificant things to distract us from this demanding task. The blame is not to be placed solely on the shoulders of this generation though; distracted driving existed even before the first cell phone was created.
The first gasoline powered automobile was created in 1894 by Elwood Haynes of the Haynes Automobile Company (America on the Move, 1). The "Pioneer" was a push start, self-powered vehicle that could reach speeds up to eight miles per hour (1). As with many inventions, people began to think of new ways to make the automobile better than it already was; people began adding upgrades to make driving more entertaining. As the production and demand of automobiles rapidly increased, new luxuries started to be installed; bigger models, faster speeds, and as the production of new technologies increased, so did the risk of distracted driving. But why did this epidemic not get cured when it first breached the waters of our safe society? What effects has this epidemic had on our society?
Effects on Society
Distracted driving is so severe of an epidemic that it has effects on every aspect of society, both physical and psychological. Unfortunately, people do not discover the effects of distracted driving until they are already suffering the consequences.
At age sixteen, when you get your driver's license, and are preparing to join your peers on the front lines of the roadways, everyone warns you the risks on the road, crazy people, construction, etc. However, no one really prepares you for the greatest risk on the road, that being yourself and your ability to stay focused on the task ahead.
The most noticeable effect of distracted driving is the physical aspect of it. In 2006, Amanda Clark was a victim of distracted driving and she suffered the physical consequences (Tracy, 1). Amanda was talking on the phone while driving when she ran a stop sign and was broadsided by another vehicle (1). Her Chevrolet Trailblazer rolled three times before stopping on the roof (1). Amanda was lucky enough to walk away with no more than scratches and bruises, however one year later, almost to the day, Amanda lost control of her car and crashed, later dying from her injuries (1). She was texting and driving (1). The physical effects of distracted driving can be minor or, as in Amanda's case, they can be severe. You would think it better not to try your hand at all, but temptation is sometimes difficult to resist.
The psychological effects of distracted driving can be very painful, however, some good can come from the pain. In 2008, Jennifer Smith lost her mother in a car accident, when a man in a truck ran a red light and T- boned her mother's car. The man was talking on the phone (Parks 1). Although the pain of losing her mother was severe, Jennifer thought she should channel her pain into something useful (1). Jennifer now runs the Distraction Advocate Network, where she contacts other families who have lost a loved one to distracted driving and organizes political actions (1). Although these families are struggling, their voices have the greatest impact on society because they are able to tell their stories first hand to people who themselves may be suffering from the epidemic of distracted driving.
As with most epidemics, there are always going to be effects on society, but it is about how we respond to these effects that truly matters.
Examples
Distracted driving is not a new epidemic, but one that we have been battling for years. The most common causes of distracted driving are accessories in the car or that people have on them. Let us take a look at some of the earlier examples of these accessories.
The first in- car audio system was the Highway HiFi. “Installed in select Chrysler models from 1956 to 1959, the HiFi was a record turntable that fit into your dashboard.” (Fruhlinger, 1) This was likely a cause for a lot of distraction on the road fumbling around with the needle and records. The HiFi was not common so it petered out in a short amount of time.
The next example of an accessory that caused distracted driving was the 8- track cassette. “The 8- track cassette may be the first audio format that originated to distract you from your driving duties: it was developed specifically for automotive use, and only later was adopted for the home” (1). The 8- track allowed for skipping songs, which became a common distraction on the road.
Another example of an accessory that caused distracted driving was the cigarette lighter power outlet. The automobile “originally drew power from the cars battery to heat up a filament, but gradually became a clunky de facto standard for electronic accessories” (1). This engineering allowed for a number of items that could be modified for use in a car; a curling iron, a gaming system, a phone charger, etc. This device, although not directly responsible for distracted driving, opened a gateway for many distractions to infect our roadways.
Another example of an accessory that caused distracted driving, and perhaps the most responsible, was the GPS. Although the GPS guided you to your destination with ease, people often would become distracted by looking at the screen or listening to the voice. The GPS often lulled the driver into a sense of safety in the route they were travelling when their actual location said otherwise (1).
The final example of an accessory that caused distracted driving was the cup holder. When cup holders were first put into a car, the United States was in the process of incorporating the drive- in culture. While cup holders were initially made to hold drinks, many people began to use them to hold other things including food, loose change, phones, etc (1). People become easily distracted while reaching and/ or looking toward the cup of fried chicken taunting them only a few inches away.
While these are just a few examples of accessories/ items that cause distracted driving, there are still many more. The most important thing to remember is that these items do not have control of us, or at least not enough so to risk our own and others’ lives.
Solutions
Most epidemics can be solved fairly easily, after some years of struggle, whether with a vaccination, a political action, or a societal change, but distracted driving cannot be solved as easily as a shot in the arm.
In the past, there have been attempts at abolishing distracted driving, mainly focusing on the use of cell phones while driving. Some states have even passed laws trying to rid cell phone use. According to the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures), fifteen states, as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have banned hand- held cell phone use for all drivers. Thirty- eight states have banned all cell phone use by novice or teen drivers, twenty- one states have banned cell phone use for bus drivers, and forty- seven states have banned texting while driving. While this may seem like a lot of laws put in place, most of them are secondary offenses, meaning that a police officer could not pull you over and fine you for cell phone use, unless you were involved in an accident of some sort; however, some states have them listed as primary offenses, and enforce the laws very seriously. (Essex, 1)
Many people have strong opinions of distracted driving, mainly because they have suffered the consequences of it. The most common causes of distracted driving are items or accessories in the car that take the driver’s attention away from the road. There are several ideas of how to debilitate or abolish distracted driving.
The first idea of lowering the risk of distracted driving is turning off your cell phone before you begin to drive. You would think that it would be easy to do this, but for some reason people cannot wait fifteen minutes to text their friends. Farmers Insurance suggests turning your phone off and placing it somewhere out of sight because as they say, “out of sight, out of mind” (Distracted Driving, 1). There is some controversy, however, about keeping your phone out of reach. This can potentially be a problem if you are faced with an emergency and you need to call someone, such as the police. If this is the case, then the risk of distracted driving, as well as the risk of an accident increases.
Another example of how to lower the risk of distracted driving is to already be prepared and organized before you begin driving. “Set up your GPS route before you hit the gas, get your EZ-Pass out or have any toll money ready, and keep your morning coffee in the cup holder where it belongs” (1). If you are more prepared beforehand, there will be less searching for something you need, and therefore less time that your eyes are off of the road.
On a more political aspect of it, many people believe that laws and punishments against distracted driving should be harsher to “teach people lessons” to discontinue their actions. As stated previously, there are many new laws in place against phone use while driving, but as with other laws, they are broken.
One idea, although blatant, to get rid of distracted driving is to let your passengers, if any, do the work for you. If you need a radio station changed, ask them. If you need to use the GPS, let them work it. If you need chap stick, let them get it for you. There is no need to risk you own and other innocent lives to moisturize your lips.
The final solution that will be discussed, in fact was created to debilitate distracted driving, this being hands- free Bluetooth and voice command devices. While these devices have weakened this deadly epidemic, they have not completely stopped it in its tracks. Bluetooth and voice command devices do free your hands from distraction, but your mind and attention are still not focused on the road, bringing us to another solution to distracted driving. Most times when voice command and Bluetooth devices are used while driving, people are having a conversation relating to a serious matter. These matters require a lot of focus and thought, therefore taking most of your focus off of driving. It is best to keep these conversations to a minimum while driving, or pull over to a safer area to converse the subject.
These are only a few solutions to help abolish the terrible epidemic distracted driving is, but I am certain there are more. It does not seem that it would be difficult to snuff out this epidemic, but habits are difficult to break.
Camus, Absurdity, and Distracted Driving
Albert Camus was born in 1913 in Algeria. Camus later became known for his political journalism, novels, and essays during the 1940s (Albert Camus, 1). During college, Camus studied philosophy, obtaining both undergraduate and graduate degrees (1). Camus became known mostly for his philosophical view called Absurdism. Camus believed that “that life had no meaning, that nothing exists that could ever be a source of meaning, and hence there is something deeply absurd about the human quest to find meaning.” (Maguire, 1) In terms of distracted driving, Camus would have believed it to be a pointless task, as do I. Camus would have argued that the purpose of driving is fast, easy transportation, and the fact that people are jeopardizing their own and other’s lives makes it a pointless task. He may also argue that people are seeking meaning by constantly distracting themselves on the road, or seeking satisfaction while driving, which again, is a pointless task. The outcome of this epidemic, being tragedy, injury, and death, would have only supported Camus’ philosophy of Absurdism, after all, the absurdity of putting our lives at risk for a pointless task is un-explanatory.
Conclusion
Distracted driving is one of the worst epidemics to have emerged in our world, and it is man- made. The best way for us together to treat the symptoms of this epidemic are to set aside our narcissistic ways and value our lives over the pointless task that is distracted driving. We have waged a war against something that may never be stopped, but the frontlines of our army, our attention and focus, will press forward to defeat this epidemic in the future.
Works Cited
“Albert Camus.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/people/albert-camus-9236690.
“America on the Move” | Haynes automobile, amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_1270.html.
“Camus and Absurdity.” Philosophy Talk, www.philosophytalk.org/blog/camus-and-absurdity.
“Distracted Driving.” 7 Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving | Farmers Insurance, www.farmers.com/inner-circle/car-safety/7-tips-to-avoid-driving-distractions/.
Essex, Amanda. “Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws.” Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws, National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 June 2017, www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/cellular-phone-use-and-texting-while-driving-laws.aspx.
Fruhlinger, Josh. “A Brief History of Distracted Driving.” ITworld, ITworld, 2 Dec. 2013, www.itworld.com/article/2822874/mobile/130453-A-brief-history-of-distracted-driving.html#slide6
“Motor Vehicle Safety. “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 June 2017, www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html
. Parks, Scott K. “Families of Distracted-Driving Victims Share Stories of Pain in Hopes of Making a Difference.” Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2013, www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2013/01/29/families-of-distracted-driving-victims-share-stories-of-pain-in-hopes-of-making-a-difference.
Tracy, Erin. “She Survived Her First Distracted Driving Accident – but Not Her Second.”Modbee, The Modesto Bee, www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article71022122.html.
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