Inconvenience Won't Kill You, But Convenience Sometimes Does

2025 Driver Education Round 3

Inconvenience Won’t Kill You, But Convenience Sometimes Does

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Quynh Huong Truong

Lincoln, Nebraska

Any statistics about car accidents we saw tell us that drunk driving remains one of the leading causes of fatal accidents on American roads. Therefore, despite being educated, we attentively assume that impaired driving only points to the weak body under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, there are a lot of times we underestimate the consequences of fatigue or texting. Personally, I believe that any distraction which divert our attention from the road should also be considered a form of impaired driving. In common, alcohol, drugs, fatigue, texting, distractions, or breaking the laws are the ignorance of consequences. They all decrease concentration, lead to impaired judgement, slow reaction and reduce hand-eye coordination. Usually, we tell ourselves that they were “one second”, but sometimes, those seconds take away our lives in a blink of an eye.

The most common mistake we make is our ignorance towards impaired driving’s consequences. Many drivers assume their skills or experience will protect them, so they normalize unsafe behaviors such as texting while driving, speeding, driving tired, or failing to check mirrors and surroundings. Still, passing a driving test does not mean we can create the conditions for tragedy. When people get comfortable driving, they start believing they can multitask or bend the rules “just a little.” However, what makes impaired driving dangerous is not only the action itself, but the mindset that small mistakes don’t matter. For that reason, most accidents happen not because we lack skills, but because of our lack of attention in that exact “one second”. Moreover, ignoring the consequences also means no preparation to deal with dangers: block of views, winding roads, bad weather. Impairment is not only about substances—it is anything that steals your attention from the road.
During my high school years, I met a teacher. Long ago, her brother died in a car accident due to alcohol, leaving behind his son. Thus, she always used her brother’s story to remind us how dangerous impaired driving could be. However, one day, she called her nephew without realizing that he was driving. It was just a short call in a few seconds. But at the end of the call, she heard his scream followed by the breaking noise of metal crashing. Luckily, he survived, but he fell into a coma-like state from which he never fully woke. Since then, she has spent a large portion of her income paying medical bills and keeping him alive, hoping every day that he would open his eyes. That one moment of carelessness cost his future and forced her to carry a lifelong emotional and financial burden. Her story proves me that car accidents, whether the victims could survive or not, always left a long-lasting pain for their family. “One careless minute took away your future” may seem rare, but actually not. Many statistics show more people die in traffic collisions than in some wars. After hearing her tragedy, I changed the way I drive. Turning off all notifications, checking my car, and making sure I am mentally focused have my top priority, even if it feels inconvenient.
Driver’s education and traffic school already teaches the consequences of impaired driving, yet most of us still do it every day. There should be more emphasis on practicing rather than merely knowing. For instance, to connect with real-world experiences, stories from victims or families affected by impaired driving could be integrated not only in education, but also in news because everyone has to drive responsibly regardless of age. By letting the people who have suffered lifelong losses speak up, the message becomes harder to ignore: every “small” distraction has the potential to destroy someone’s life. Hence, it raises the awareness that safety habits —like checking mirrors, securing phones, or checking our well-being —are not optional before any drive.
As I mentioned before, there should be more practice of safe driving in real life. Therefore, I promote safe driving by reminding any driver I go with to prepare in advance: check the car, silence the phone, and avoid driving when tired or sleepy. Some people start listening to me, but a lot of times people say I worry too much. Nevertheless, the story of my teacher’s nephew shows me that preparation is never excessive. On the other hand, they might find those habits —waiting to text, pulling over to rest, or turning off a phone —are inconvenient, yet how can those habits be compared to irreversible consequences of an accident with convenience? By sharing her story, I hope I can motivate the people around me to take their choices more seriously.