A little road rage isn’t uncommon when you’re cut off by a driver who has failed to use their turn signal, merged right over into your lane when they should have yielded, while dangerously tailgating the car in front of it. You begin to overtake this person, and as you glance over, mid-giving the finger, you notice their wild, multi-tasking status. They are snapchatting, chewing a drippy, cream-cheese bagel, smoking a cig that desperately needs to be ashed, and drinking a road beer while going at least 15 over the speed limit. Oh, and there is a young kid in the back seat, who the driver has now turned around to aggressively yell at. Then, you realize you’re the one who is driving 20 over the 55mph speed limit, smoking a fat joint, sipping Red Bull, and blaring trance music at a distracting level.
This needs to stop. We’ve become too laid back behind the wheel, attempting to catch up on email, take a quick selfie or ten, eat a meal, or have a conversation with someone, all while two tons of metal is careening down a street on our way to work.
The four leading causes of car accidents, which you can probably guess, are as follow:
- Distracted driving (Texting, reading, internet browsing, grooming, eating, snapchatting, etc.)
- Drunk driving (No explanation necessary. Why the hell would you risk killing another person while you drive intoxicated?)
- Speeding (Fun fact: Speed limits are heavily researched before they are implemented; they are not the government’s cruel attempt to limit your fun behind the wheel.)
- Reckless Driving (Wreck less by driving less reckless!)
In addition to trying your best at not doing the listed leading causes of wrecks, I have three propositions. They are profound, I know, and I believe the world will be more enjoyable to drive in, there will maybe be less traffic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE), and safety might even increase on the road if we all attempt to do these things:
- Use turn signals. (Maybe it is just me, but I am quickly infuriated when these are not utilized.)
- Yield. Don’t cut off other drivers as you drive onto the highway, or anywhere, but especially onto the highway.
- Don’t tailgate. This is reckless and causes traffic when you brake suddenly.
I believe with an increase in awareness, technological increases, growing sophistication of humans, and the growing number of educated individuals in the world, this is within our grasp. We can and should seek to maximize efficiency and safety simultaneously as we transport ourselves and others at high speeds.
