DISTRACTED DRIVING

Distracted driving is any activity that can distract driving attentions, including making

calls, texting, eating and eating, chatting with your passengers, adjusting a radio, taking a hand

off the steering wheel taking an eye out of a busy road or entertainment or handling other devices

while driving. Alarming number of accidents are happening due to marriage of our smartphones

and automobiles leading to deaths of passengers, cyclists or even pedestrians. Notwithstanding

enforcements, numerous new laws and campaigns on public-safety, survey has shown that a

good number of accidents are happening due to driver’s distractions. Having seen that distracted

driving contributes to injuries and loss of lives, in this essay I am going to explore on tips for

minimizing distracted driving.

Enacting harsher legislation. There are a lot of laws in most countries which violates use

of mobile phones while driving. This is a good thing but we still have a long way to go for us to

make them potent. Many countries though allow use of mobile phones while driving, they need

to take cautions on the high number of injuries and deaths that arise from accessing them while

on busy roads. Statistic shows that tons of road accidents happening today result from use of

mobile phones by drivers while driving. Often, in many countries, use of phones while driving

laws are stated as secondary offences. If we want to minimize on the number of road accidents

that are happening today, this is the issue that need to be tackled first and these laws need to be

reviewed and ameliorate. The government should deal harshly with those drivers who will be

caught accessing their mobiles phones while driving.

Installing in-cab and inward facing cameras. If all vehicles are installed an in-cab facing

camera, fleet managers will be able to view video footage and perform audits to ensure that all
drivers comply with the procedures. Inward facing cameras will help fleet managers in

identifying driver distractions. Advancements in technologies more specifically on artificial

intelligence will permit for the establishment of driver’s safety platforms that will not only

identify driver’s distractions but will also use hearable in-cab alerts that will prevent them from

distractions. These measures will be effective in minimizing or stopping driver’s distractions.

Raising awareness on effects of distracted driving. Many people are aware of the

repercussions of reckless and distracted driving though they tend to ignore. The ministry of

transport in collaboration with other relevant authorities should educate and create awareness not

only to drivers but to everybody on different forms of distracted driving, consequences and how

to raise an alarm in case of distracted driving. The government should also create a national

awareness day about distracted and reckless driving. People should be educated on road safety

and a platform should be created where passengers will be reporting any form of distracted

driving.

Raising incentives against distracted driving. If laws won’t change driver’s habit, I

believe that excellent incentives will. A simple application should be created which will be

rewarding drivers when they put their phones into driving mode. This will play a big role in

motivating drivers who do not use their phones while driving as well as encouraging them to

keep their mobile phones aside when driving.

When the focus of the driver leaves the road, things transpire quickly. Distracted driving

has irreversible and devastating repercussions. While aid is available to help towards fighting

against distracted driving, nothing will make an impact if we won’t alter driver’s behaviors.
Drivers on the other hand should pledge to terminate distracted driving and integrate strategies in

their daily lives to battle against this issue.