Distracted Driving: My Story

Distracted driving is a critical issue that has devastated many families all around the world, including my own. As a new driver myself, I have heard all the warnings: don’t text and drive, keep your eyes on the road, stay focused, and don’t get distracted. Like every other teenage driver given these instructions, I simply agreed without fully acknowledging the importance behind them. However, that all changed on April 1, 2025. I know what you’re thinking— the same thing I thought when I first heard the news— that it has to be a very bad April Fools’ joke. But after a few seconds, reality began to sink in as I watched my mother completely crumble right in front of me. My mother is an incredibly strong woman, so when I saw her break like this for the first time, it brought me to a reality where death and heartbreak are common occurrences within human life. That was the day we lost my grandpa— my mother’s father, my grandmother’s soulmate— to a distracted driver. So to answer the question of how distracted driving has affected my life is quite simple: it has led to complete devastation in my family. It has caused familial heartbreak, depression, and anxiety as we try to navigate our way through life without the person holding us all together. One driver’s split-second distraction from the road took him away forever and cost my family a lifetime of memories.

My grandpa loved traveling, riding bikes, and going on adventures. He was very young, since he was only sixteen years older than my mom, and had plenty more life to live and places to explore. But that future got stolen in an instant when a single moment of distraction caused a driver to swerve off the road and hit him. This incident marked a transition in my life where I began to fully understand that death is inevitable and everything can change in the blink of an eye. Just the day before his accident, I called my grandpa, full of excitement, to tell him that I was going to commit to a university, since it was only an hour away from his house. We stayed on the phone for hours making plans for my near future. He told me how he couldn’t wait to see me graduate in May and help me set up my college dorm in August. He even planned to set up a room for me at his house, so I could spend quality time with him on the weekends. I remember how excited and proud he was of me on the phone that day. He was so full of joy— not only because of my exciting news but also because he was enjoying a trip with his friends in New Orleans. I never could have imagined that within twenty-four hours, his once lively and joyous voice would be silenced forever. Who could have known that his first bicycle ride on vacation with his friends would also be his last? All it took was for one distracted driver to swerve out of his lane to end my grandfather’s life. That driver’s small act of recklessness led to a lifetime of pain in the lives of all his friends and family, especially those who watched his life end right before their eyes. He had been ripped away from so many people’s lives, including my own. He will no longer get to see me graduate. He will no longer help me decorate my dorm room. He will no longer be just an hour away from the college I chose to attend so I could be close to him. All because of one distracted driver, my grandpa will only live on in my heart. I will use my story as a testimony to fight against distracted driving and to remind the public that one second of distraction can cause a lifetime of heartbreak.

This incident ignited a spark in me to take action against distracted driving to promote a safer environment for everyone on the road. The best way to achieve this goal is by reaching young drivers directly. Young drivers are the future of the roads, and they will shape the driving habits for many generations to come. We need to target young drivers and communicate with them honestly by using heartfelt emotions from reality. I believe more personal stories, like mine, that truly display the pain and heartbreak caused by distracted driving, should be implemented into schools and driving courses. Graphic videos of familial heartbreak should be displayed to the public to bring these stories to life. This vivid imagery will allow drivers to fully comprehend the dangers and consequences of distracted driving. Social media is a great way to spread awareness, since most teens and even adults are addicted to apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Posting stories on platforms like these, that are guaranteed to reach the public eye, can spark a chain reaction of making the road a safer place. In addition, I believe there needs to be stronger laws and stricter consequences for distracted driving to the point where it becomes just as unacceptable as drunk driving. There needs to be increased fines and penalties so distracted drivers could be held more accountable for their actions. License points should be added for distracted driving, and repeated offenses should result in license suspension. To take it a step further to ensure that phones contribute less to distracted driving, all cars should require “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode enabled by default to block phone notifications and distractions while driving. Since phones have motion detection sensors, they should automatically enable “Do Not Disturb While Driving” when it detects movement over 10 miles an hour. Bluetooth in cars should also require notifications to be turned off in order for the phone to connect to the car. Due to the technological advancements in today’s society, cars now exhibit numerous apps and features displayed on the car screens, which are very distracting to drivers on the road. It only takes one second for someone to look down at their car screen to change the music or make a phone call to end someone’s life. For this reason, car screens should have limited access to apps when the car is in motion because the smallest act of just looking away for a second can take away someone’s life forever. By increasing awareness and accountability, drivers will think twice about taking their eyes off the road. Together, we can make a difference because it only takes one second to ruin countless lives, and my family is living proof of that.