There is an epidemic sweeping our nation. Don't worry, it's not an illness and it won't affect your physical health. However, it will affect your mental health whenever you leave your house; this epidemic is bad driving.
As a commuter, I witness bad driving multiple times per day: people weaving in and out of traffic, turning or switching lanes without using a blinker, focusing their attention on other things besides the road, and more. By doing these things, the road becomes a much more dangerous and more traffic-prone place. There are some easy ways to be a smarter driver, which in turn, makes our roads safer and more efficient.
1. Use your turn signal.
See this image above? This is a turn signal! It might look a little different in your car, but every car has one. Better yet, it is conveniently located on the left side behind the steering wheel for easy accessibility. You may ask, "why should I use that?" Well, most importantly, it lets other drivers know where you are going so that they can be more cautious. If you are planning to switch lanes, please use your blinker to let drivers know and plan for a car to move in front of them. Also, if you are turning, it's likely that you're slowing down to complete the turn; please use your blinker so that the driver behind you knows to slow down as well and does not think you are just slowing down for no reason.
2. Get off of your damn phone.
People love to think that they are expert multitaskers, but I'm not even sorry to tell you this: you are not. As a psychology student, I have learned on multiple occasions that people cannot pay full attention to two things at once. Also, people love to assume that young drivers are the ones who text and drive the most, but I have witnessed firsthand that adults are equally as guilty when it comes to texting and driving. According to the FCC, in 2014, 3,179 people died and about 431,000 people were injured as a result of car accidents involving distracted driving. Also, 1 in 4 car accidents involve a driver who was on his or her cellphone. When you're driving, you should be focusing your full attention on the road and the drivers around you, no excuses. We all agree that texting and driving is dangerous, so why do we continue to do it? Trust me, you will survive if you don't check your phone for 30 minutes, or even an hour.
3. Stop driving slowly in the left lane of the highway.
Also, imagine a three-lane highway with slow drivers in both the left lane and the right lane. Drivers from the left and right lanes that are trying to pass all have to use the middle lane; see how this creates a problem? Here's an easy rule of thumb: if other drivers are passing you on the right, please do everyone a favor and move over.
In a perfect world, every driver would follow these simple rules, but change has to start somewhere, and it will begin with you and me!
