A Few Seconds Can Last Forever

Last summer, I received a call from my mom telling me she had been in a terrible accident and was at the hospital awaiting treatment: I’ve never heard silence so loud. I can’t even remember the drive to the hospital, the sound of her pain echoing in my mind and the fear of what I might walk into. When I arrived, I found her sitting in the waiting room with an IV drip in her arm, painkillers flowing through her system. She explained that another driver had run a red light and crashed into the front of her car, completely totaling it. Despite being in visible pain, she tried to lighten the moment with a joke, saying Stanley, the popular beverage container company, should sponsor her because her Stanley cup had survived the crash without a single scratch.

As the police came to take her statement and nurses checked her vitals, I found myself stuck in a loop of continuous questioning: Who hit her? What did they look like? How did their car look after the crash? What made them run a clear red light? Later, I learned that the driver was someone around my age, and that they had been distracted by their phone. I was seething. The few seconds it took for her to look down and reply to a tweet or watch a Tiktok, or text and friend, could have taken my mom’s life. That’s all it takes: a few seconds of distraction to cause irreversible harm, not just to yourself, but to others too.

Over the past decade, we’ve adopted a constant narrative of being “ahead”, especially when it comes to technology. This is most evident in the way teens rely on their phones. Imagine having everything you need in a single device. Actually, in today’s world, we don’t have to imagine, it’s our reality. Need to search for something? There’s Google or Safari. Want food? DoorDash or UberEats. Need to message someone across the country or across the world? iMessage and WhatsApp have it covered. Want to check in on friends or see what someone is up to? Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter (now X) are just a tap away.

For many teens, life doesn’t just involve their phones, it revolves around them. Our phones are our calendars, cameras, alarm clocks, sources of entertainment, and even our therapists. While this convenience is remarkable, it comes at a cost. We’ve become so tethered to our devices that we often forget how to be present. Meals are shared with heads down, memories are made through a screen, and silence is instantly filled with scrolling. This constant distraction has seeped into every part of daily life, and one of the most dangerous places it appears is behind the wheel. Too often, teens justify their phone use while driving with thoughts like, “It’s just one second to check this notification,” or “I’ll respond really quick.” But those few seconds can be fatal. They can be the difference between arriving safely at your destination or not arriving at all. The truth is, the convenience of connection has created a culture of distraction, and until we address that, we’ll continue to see the dangerous consequences play out in real time.

With the continuing threat of this culture of distraction, this is why driver’s education is more essential than ever. Driver’s education programs can provide more than just technical knowledge—they can shape attitudes, emphasize responsibility, and raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. When properly implemented, these programs don’t just teach teens how to operate a vehicle; they prepare them to make safe and thoughtful choices behind the wheel. This isn’t just a personal safety issue, it’s a public one. Every distracted driver on the road puts others at risk. By investing in comprehensive, accessible, and updated driver’s education, we can help reduce preventable accidents, save lives, and foster a culture of mindfulness rather than distraction.

To combat the growing risks of distracted driving, especially among teens, there must be a collective effort from individuals, schools, and communities. First and foremost, the most critical action any young driver can take is simple but powerful: do not use your phone while driving. No text, call, or notification is worth a life. If a situation absolutely requires phone use—whether it’s navigating a map or answering a call, the safest thing to do is pull over. Period. That decision alone can be the difference between a safe drive and a tragedy.

Schools can play a significant role by incorporating more real-life scenarios into driver’s education courses and hosting speaker events with crash survivors or first responders to help personalize the consequences of distracted driving. Some schools have even implemented simulation programs that allow students to experience the dangers of texting and driving in a safe, controlled environment.

Communities can support safe teen driving by promoting local and state legislation that strengthens distracted driving laws, like hands-free phone mandates or stricter penalties for phone use behind the wheel. Installing or subsidizing dash cams for teen drivers could also encourage accountability, giving both families and teens a chance to reflect on and improve driving habits. Additionally, distributing or requiring phone holders in cars can reduce the temptation to hold and glance down at a device while using navigation apps.

Ultimately, no gadget or law can replace the importance of personal responsibility. Changing the culture around phone use while driving starts with small, intentional choices, and choosing to keep your phone out of reach could end up saving a life, maybe even your own.