For my introductory psychology course freshman year, I went to a distracted driving presentation for extra credit. The instructor started off by asking two questions. The first was, “How many of you are afraid that you’ll be hurt or killed in a car accident while you’re driving?” Three, maybe four people raised their hands. The second question he asked was, “How many of you are afraid that you might have to go home to your parents with a speeding ticket?” Almost every single hand in the room went up.

I remember having a strong reaction to this, and a moment of clarity. Why is it that we’re more afraid of being caught speeding, or participating in other dangerously distracting activities than we are of the things causing accidents? I realize that yeah, tickets for moving-traffic violations are a pain in the butt, but the fine you’re given and the points added to your license will probably remind you to drive more carefully, at least for a little while. That could potentially save your life and lives of others who could be affected by an accident, if it were to occur.

After the instructor asked those questions and introduced himself, he showed us statistics on the number of distracted driving accidents and the number of deaths per year. Seeing statistics didn’t do much, but what followed them did. Our instructor showed us videos of accidents caused by the driver being distracted. There was one of a woman putting on her mascara in the mirror above her seat, her eyes completely off the road. Another showed a man with a ton of food surrounding him, and at one point he had both hands off the steering wheel, as well as his eyes.

Two of the videos were particularly effective in showing us how dangerous driving can be if you’re not paying attention to the road and your surroundings. We were shown a live feed of a girl driving with a few of her girlfriends in the back and in the passenger seat. The driver was on her phone and she drove into a tree or telephone pole. The video ended as she woke up, but our instructor told us what happened next; when the girl came to, she looked around in the car to find that two of her best friends had died instantly and the other was unconscious.

In another video, the specific distraction was not shown, but the accident was. An SUV went off the road, through the median and into oncoming traffic. Driving the other way at around 70 mph, was a tractor trailer that had no time to react, resulting in a head-on collision. As the collision happened, the SUV turned to complete dust; there was nothing left of the car. It looked like it had actually exploded.

It’s one of those things you think will never happen to you or your loved ones; it only happens to other people. You may think that you’re great at multitasking, but that is not true when it comes to driving. A guy I went to high school with was killed in a collision a week and a half before we graduated and wasn’t doing anything wrong at the time. A car accident can happen anywhere, anytime. It might be your fault, or it might not be, but there are always precautions you can take to reduce the chance.

Here are a few ways to prevent accidents caused by distracted driving:

• Put your phone in your pocket and put it on “do not disturb,” or turn it off.
• If you don’t know where you’re going, pull over to look for directions.
• No matter where you’re going, if you feel like you might fall asleep at the wheel, pull over and take a nap or have someone come and pick you up.
• Don’t reach for things while you’re moving.
• Make sure that everyone in the car is wearing a seatbelt.
• Keep both of your hands on the steering wheel.
• If your passenger(s) are getting too loud, ask them to quiet down so that you can concentrate on driving.
• Keep your music at a reasonable volume.
• If you can’t keep your emotions in check, have someone else drive or just stay home.
• Try to keep your speed within five miles per hour of the speed limit.
• Look forward at the road and for cars around you at all times while moving.
• Always drive defensively, instead of offensively or aggressively.

You can never be too careful while operating a vehicle. I know how tempting it is to look at your phone, or check your makeup in the mirror, or stuff your face on a long car trip. No matter how important the text is, where you’re going, or how hungry you are, your life is always infinitely more important. Before you get into the car, think about the child who runs out in the road to get his ball, or the family in the car ahead of you, the police officer on the side of the road with another car pulled over, maybe even think about yourself. Think about the first responders and how the outcomes of car accidents affect them and their families. Just think before you drive. Stay safe out there.