Pointing out a piece of lettuce in a friend’s teeth. Acknowledging when someone sneezes. These are socially acceptable responses to situations.
What about texting while driving? It happens all the time, even though we know it’s not safe.
So should we call out this behavior when we see it? The answer is yes. And the good news is most of us do—at least, we say we do.
A national survey commissioned by ERIE and conducted by The Harris Poll found that 9 out of 10 Americans said they would speak up if they were a passenger in a car whose driver started texting.
But what about the person who doesn’t say anything? Their top reason for holding their tongue, the survey found, was to avoid confrontation.
And we get it. Confrontation, no matter how minor, is something we as humans tend to avoid. To help those folks for whom avoiding minor conflict in the moment can seem more important than driver safety, Eriesense® spoke with an expert.
Stanislaw Kolek is a visiting assistant professor of psychology at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, whose areas of study include vulnerable drivers and hazard perception in driving, among other driving-related topics. He said the best way to speak up is to do so in a way that avoids antagonizing the driver and instead offers a solution.
“If you are in a car, and the driver starts texting, you could say, ‘It looks like you really need to be texting someone right now, so why don’t you let me drive? I can drive and you can text, and once we get to our destination, you can get back into the driver’s seat,’” he said. “Asking them if you can be the driver in that situation is usually a very nonantagonistic way of getting yourself out of a dangerous situation.”
By offering solutions instead of criticisms, you can express your concerns without causing any friction.
It’s important to hold yourself accountable as well. Consider committing to not texting and driving as a way to convince your friends and loved ones to stop the behavior too. After all, it’s easier to change habits when you have someone to hold you accountable.
Ultimately, if the person driving does something you aren’t comfortable with, breaks a law or puts your safety in jeopardy, find your calm voice and speak up. People often don’t realize the potential consequences of their actions.
By taking these steps, together, we can help make sure distracted driving becomes 100% socially unacceptable.
