Stand up to Distracted Driving

In the blink of an eye, beat of a heart, in just one second, a life can change forever. Distracted driving is often defined as “any activity that diverts attention from driving” (Distracted Driving Dangers and Statistics). With hundreds of teens dying every year in distracted driving cases alone, something needs to change. I have personally lost someone that was extremely close to my family, and her own family, as well as our entire community, have never been the same due to one distracted driver. Because of that situation, I have been able to personally realize the importance of safe driving each and every time you are behind the wheel.

On April 12, 2012, the lives of my friend, my family, and my community members were all changed forever. This was the night that my best friend’s sister, Brittany Combs, at the young age of 18 years died in an unexpected car crash due to the driver being distracted. Every year without fail, when April 12 comes around, everyone gathers around the courthouse and lights a candle in her memory, as Brittany was a life lost that could have, as well as should have been prevented, and nobody can go back and change it. This loss not only impacted my family and community by dispiriting us all, but also her family by making a mother bury her first baby, a father bury his little girl, and a brother and sister watching their sibling be lowered, knowing they have lost many years and growing up with their older sister. This experience is sadly just one of the many casualties I have seen in my hometown alone, causing me to truly think before putting my car in drive, especially as I drive my friends, family, and younger sibling around every day, as I could never forgive myself if I chose answering my phone or grabbing something from the backseat over a precious life. Distracted driving is real, and lethal, and sadly many people don’t realize that until they go through hardships such as mine to teach them the true importance of safe driving.

What many young drivers don’t realize is just how much of a distraction their phones are in a vehicle. It is mentioned that, “Texting while driving causes 11 teen deaths every day” (The Facts About Teens Texting and Driving | Warren & Griffin). What most adults don’t realize is that, “If you text while you are driving, you are six times more likely to cause a wreck than driving while drunk” (The Facts About Teens Texting and Driving | Warren & Griffin). Young drivers have a lot to worry about when first starting to drive alone. Road laws, pedestrians, debris on the road, and road signs/signals. What young teens don’t need is to have a phone readily available to them in the car, causing them to prioritize a text or photo over their own, and possibly others lives. Young drivers typically feel a need to be answering messages right away, taking calls as if voicemails don’t exist, and getting that perfect sunset picture, even while driving. The risk is not worth it for them as individuals, but also the others they could harm, injure, or even kill in doing so, even if it is just a simple accident. Injuries, as well as death, are unforgettable, and could not only stick with them for the rest of their lives, but could also land them in prison or jail, scaring them emotionally, as well as their future opportunities and relationships/connections. This is something to be taken extremely seriously, bringing me to different ways I believe distracted driving’s true impact could be implemented in teens’ lives.

In high school, we would hold a “mock crash” every three to four years to help show students the importance of driving sober and calling for help when you need it before prom. The school would have a careflight helicopter come to the school, would have students acting out different parts, would show the EMS team cutting the people out of the car, and even end with a funeral and mock trial. I believe that distracted driving should be taken just as seriously, if not more as it is seen more and more each day, and is overlooked immensely by society. Doing a distracted driving simulation could help show students just how much damage they can cause, and can help save lives without having to lose more to prove a point of significance. Another way we could help reach out to the youth is to use social media to our advantage. We could create challenges or rewards for safe driving and those who stay off their phones. We could track this using apps or using safe driving services through different insurance companies. If possible, I would like to partner with my local authorities, as well as community members to get each and every student a Drivewise device from Allstate, or something of the sort, for free or as low of a cost as possible. With that device, students and their parents will get notified on breaking too hard, real time habits such as how many times you pick up your phone, and speeding as well. With using this device, parents can better track and take care of students, and students can save money on their car insurance by driving safely, which could be a huge reward for those students who need to pay for that themselves, and could keep the streets safer for not only my peers, but also my community, and others as well.

Throughout my life I have seen many people pass due to distracted driving, no matter the type. This topic is very personal to me as I have lost someone who felt like family to us, and many people lose their children, parents, cousins, aunts, and many many more. Distracted driving can change an entire community’s lives in the blink of an eye, beat of a heart, in just one short second. I want to do everything I can to make a difference in my community, and want to see lives saved all over the world as well. While I cannot go back in time and save my best friend’s sister, I can save my sisters, and my friends, and educate others to do the same. I encourage everybody to try and think of ways they can cut down their own distracted driving, and get out there, educate people on the risks of distracted driving, the significance, and the depth of the topic. Who knows? It could save your life, and hundreds of others along the way.