What were the biggest things you learnt while completing this task?
I learnt a lot whilst researching this topic. Being a teenager myself and always on my phone, I didn’t realise just how much of a distraction they are. I understood to a certain extent what impact mobile phones have on you when driving and the distraction that they can become. But some of the biggest things I learnt when completing this task was that between 2016-2020 there were a reported 524 deaths from inattentive driving. In hindsight this doesn’t seem like a lot but when you think about it, fatal car crashes are rarer than they seem and are less common to come across, 524 is more than a whole year group at some schools. Another thing I learnt is that a 2 second look at your phone while driving at the average speed on built up areas, relates to 33 metres of distance where you aren’t look at your phone. This statistic really stuck out to me, so I related my whole project on it. Most people argue that “just a quick look wont hurt” when in fact it can be the difference between life or death in some cases.
What one piece of advice would you pass on to young drivers above all else? Why?
One piece of advice that I would give to young drivers about this topic is to please think before you act, think before you look at your phone, think before you do anything on the road that could potentially end badly. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you think you are, by looking at your phone whilst driving, you are not only putting yourself in danger, but everyone else on the road and any passengers that are with you. So, think before you act, just a quick look isn’t an excuse. I say this because I don’t want anyone to get hurt or potentially die if it can be avoided, looking at your phone whilst driving can be avoided, other distraction can be avoided, and no one wants a family member, a friend, a peer to get hurt or loose their life on the road if it can be avoided.
Write down a pledge that you will commit to when you start driving. Why did you pick these things to commit to? How will you stick to these commitments?
I pledge to always be always alert and aware of my surroundings and other cars on the road. I pledge to always remove my distraction (phones, loud music, noisy and disturbing passengers) and keep my focus always to he roads. I pledge to always get myself and other passenger safely from point a to point b and if it happens to be at night and I get fatigued, to never drive under those conditions. I pledge to never drive under the influence and never assume that I am ok to drive when under the influence of alcohol. And lastly, I pledge to always be a safe driver, never loose focus and to always be patient. I will commit to these things for the benefit of myself and others because by me being a safe driving, I know that I am doing my job on the road and keeping myself and others around me safe. I will remove/minimise distraction eg my phone, and I will make an effort to always be patient with others whilst on the road.
