By Rosie P.

One very important thing I have learned while working with Teens learn to Drive is how dangerous distractions and trying to multi-task can be. Studies prove that we cannot effectively do two things at once. Think about it, anytime you take your focus off the road while you are driving and pay attention to something else, you are endangering not only your life, but possibly someone else’s. 

While driving down Dundas the other day, I saw a young girl painting her toe nails while driving. She had one hand on the steering wheel and her foot was on the seat. She repeatedly dipped the brush into the bottle of color which was balanced on the ledge in front of the speedometer. Clearly she had done this before.

Watching her attempt to “multi – task” made me so uncomfortable. It takes 3 seconds to identify and react to a road hazard and this young girl had her eyes off the road for almost 5 seconds. This behaviour was extremely selfish. Not only was she putting herself at risk but she could have potentially injured or killed a pedestrian or another driver. Her right foot was up on the seat. Imagining how long it would take her to get it down to the brake gave me goosebumps.

Driving is something most people do on a daily basis and sometimes we get tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. We start to believe we can do something else at the same time and nothing will happen. It takes one wrong turn, one careless driver and one small mistake to destroy this false perception. Unlike brushing your teeth, or taking a shower, driving is much more intense, and the importance of constantly being focused on the road cannot be emphasized enough. Texting a friend, eating your lunch, doing your makeup and painting your nails can WAIT. As drivers is it our responsibility to fulfill our duty to be safe and alert.