Arrive Late That Text Can Wait!

“Click it or ticket,” “Drinking and driving don’t mix,” “Arrive alive, don’t text and drive.” One of these mottos is backed up by a problem that arrived around the same time Generation Z started attending kindergarten. These are all examples of slogans my peers and I have heard since we first sat in high chairs. So why is it so treacherous for us young adults to sober up and put our devices down?

I believe that phone use while driving is the most common distracted driving factor for teenagers and young adults. Whether it be to look where your maps are taking you to drop your little brother off at hockey practice, change the radio station to the newest Morgan Wallen song, or text your mom that you are on your way home, phones are a distraction that has claimed the lives of too many. It may seem like a blink of a butterfly lash; looking down at the screen to read a one-word response could lead to death for you or another. People close to me have suffered the ultimate consequences of using their phones while driving, and the effect that has settled over the community is shattering.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of this summer, the younger brother of my cousin’s friend was a victim of texting and driving. He was a brother, son, friend, and only 15 years old. His older brother had graduated the same day, and before he left for the day, he fought with his mother and left the house on bad terms. Unfortunately, that would be their last conversation. He was assumed to be texting and driving and started steering off the highway. Whenever I get in my car, I take a chance keeping my phone on my knee. Every time I search for a song and send a snap back, I gamble with leaving my family daughter and sisterless. That is something I will never let my family know how that feels.

Specifically, the most challenging thing for me is snapping people back on Snapchat while in the car. I am honestly embarrassed to admit this; however, it is a problem that needs to stop. The idea of Snapchat is to send pictures and videos in real-time to show what you are doing now. Sometimes the problem is that when a conversation is going well, I feel the need or pressure to stay engaged in conversation. What I need to realize and what I keep trying to focus on are the examples I have seen from peers who have chosen to keep engaging while on the road. If I decide to snap a video of myself driving, each time could be my last ever snap. Truthfully, I need to delete Snapchat. My brother and I were just discussing how unimportant the app is and when will we give up the tweeny-bopper app.

Things I have been doing to quit my Snapchat use while driving have been putting my phone on do not disturb, telling whoever it is I am snapping that I am going to be driving before I leave, and putting the phone in my purse, away from me. When I physically have to zip my phone out and keep it out of sight, I forget about the distraction and can truly focus on getting to where I am going. People who genuinely love and care about you will not let you put yourself in danger. A true friend would not respond to your driving snaps or tell you to put the phone away. When people Snapchat me while driving, I ask them to get off their phones. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not; however, it puts a thought into the driver’s head. Lastly, I am even more connected because I have an Apple watch, getting constant, instant notifications. I have been putting my phone and watch on to “do not disturb” mode to ease my mind and rest. That way, there is no urgency to respond.

It is not worth the risk. My life is so much more critical than an instant message. I am halfway through my early childhood education teaching certification and working as a paraprofessional at my local elementary school. I could not imagine leaving my kids behind and having my co-workers explain how Miss Young passed away. By keeping reminders and working on detachment practices to help rid myself of screentime while driving, I can be an example and help save thousands of young lives. “Don’t tempt fate; that text can wait!”