Isn’t it just crazy that one simple word or even a sip of morning coffee can take someone's life in the blink of an eye? Distracted driving has become a massive issue. Whether it be adjusting the music or taking a glance at a phone screen, it’s a problem! An estimated 64% of road crashes are caused by some sort of distraction. Is that unopened snapchat just resting at the lockscreen really worth a life? Distracted driving is getting out of hand. New solutions and technology are thought up everyday but I believe the only solution is to make every single person believe it’s a serious danger. Not only realize the huge risks but believe that it can happen to not only a friend or family member, but their own self.

Distracted driving is the leading cause of crashes. An estimated half a million people are killed or injured in the United States each year from distracted driving. A half a million people each year is an insane amount of people and the sad thing is, we are doing it to ourselves. We are killing off our own species doing something that is so simple to fix. Texting and driving is the most dangerous thing to do behind the wheel. It is far more dangerous than talking to a passenger or adjusting the music. According to distracted driving accidents, it’s even more dangerous than drunk driving! Texting behind the wheel makes the chance of a crash 23 times more likely (Kiernan Hopkins, January 23rd, 2015, Distracted Driving Accidents). It takes away the ability to see things because instead of looking ahead or checking mirrors, the driver is looking at a phone screen. Texting and driving also takes away the ability to have both hands on the wheel and keep the vehicle in control. A huge part of texting and driving is that it takes away the ability of the mind to focus on driving and think about what’s happening around the vehicle. It gives the driver less time to react if something were to happen, according to Melinda Helbock from MJH. I don’t understand why people think it’s okay to get behind the wheel and pull out their phone. It’s putting not only their life at risk but everyone else around them. Texting and driving is a huge danger but, there’s still more.

When people think distracted driving, the first thing that comes to mind is cellphones. Don’t get me wrong, cellphones are the leading cause of distracted driving. What we have to realize though, is that cellphones aren’t the only thing distracting us behind the wheel. Adjusting music can be a huge distraction also. Especially in newer cars that have touch screen control panels. It may not seem like much but that song that just really had to be changed could mean the end of a life. Believe it or not, another type of distraction behind the wheel is eating. We may not think this is a huge deal but trying to handle food and drive at the same time can be extremely dangerous. I know it’s hard to resist that juicy burger from McDonald's, but it can wait. It is absolutely insane to me that people have the heart to be behind the wheel distracted. Something that may seem so simple to complete while driving truly isn’t that simple. Is it really worth it?

Each and everyday more and more people are thinking up new technologies to prevent distracted driving. There has been hands free connectivity and voice controls which allows the driver to bluetooth his or her phone into their car and talk on the phone without handling it. The list goes on and on; crash avoidance systems, lane departure warning and even drowsy driver detection (Geico, November 12, 2015). These new technologies may help a little bit but they still don’t stop all distractions behind the wheel. If we are constantly thinking up new solutions we obviously know its a problem so why don’t we just stop?

Distraction behind the wheel has become a huge issue and it needs to stop. That response to a text or sip of morning coffee is not worth the risk. Driving is a task that needs full attention from whomever is behind the wheel. It doesn’t take long for something to go wrong, when we’re out on the roads we need to be fully prepared for anything to happen. The fancy new technologies may help but we as humans are the only ones to stop it completely. No matter how experienced the driver, he or she can still be distracted. I pray someday we will live in a world where distracted driving isn’t a problem. Just remember, distracted driving is not worth the risk!