Uneducated Driving

Uneducated driving isn’t just a random statistic, it’s a real-life nightmare that’s cut deep into my world and flipped it upside down for some time. It’s not some concept you only hear about on the news. It’s something much closer than you think, closer than you want it to be. It’s taken someone from my circle, someone I never imagined would happen to be a casualty in this war on the roads.

See, it wasn’t some faceless stranger. It was one of my closest family friends who went by the name of Cody. Someone I laughed with, someone I shared secrets with, someone who I played games with, a person who knew me for who I was. And then, suddenly, they were gone. Their laughter turned to silence, their aura faded, all because of some split-second decision to check a text or fiddle with the radio. This thought clouds my mind at times but I always tell myself that I can’t be stuck living in the past and I have to move on and make it better whatever way I can.

But it’s not just the loss that eats away at me. It’s the what-ifs, the could-have-beens, the should-have-beens. What if the driver had put down their phone? What if they had kept their eyes on the road? What if they had made it home safely that night, instead of becoming another piece of the world wide statistic? I can never get those thoughts out of my head and in all honesty it eats away at my heart more than I would want but there’s no going back now. Although there’s no going back, I wish I could. It would mean the world to me if I could.

Although this is the case with me, distracted driving isn’t just about losing someone you love. It’s about the ever-lasting effect it creates, the lives it shatters, the futures it steals away. It’s about the empty seat at the dinner table, the unanswered phone calls, the birthdays celebrated with tears instead of laughter. The remembrance of something so saddening it leaves everyone around them lost. Just like how I was because of it.

So, what can we do to stop this madness? How can we prevent more senseless tragedies from tearing through our communities?

First off, we have to start with awareness. We have to make sure every young driver out there knows the risks, knows the consequences, knows that one moment of distraction can change everything for the worse not only for their life but for the one they might possibly take. We can’t beat around the bush or shy away from the deep truth. We have to hit the people straight in the heart with the harsh reality of what distracted driving really means and what it can do to people.

But awareness won’t be enough on its own I believe. We have to give these other young drivers the tools they need to make better choices behind the wheel. This means drivers education, but not just the kind you get in a classroom. We have to teach everyone out there the importance of empathy, teach them responsibility, teach them that driving isn’t just about getting from point A to point B, it’s about keeping yourself and everyone around you safe. These two topics still aren’t enough I believe. There is still the main problem with society’s driving.

And then there’s technology. We live in a world where our phones are practically glued to our hands, so why can’t we use that same technology to fight against distracted driving? There are apps out there that can disable your phone while you’re driving, or send automated texts to let people know you’re behind the wheel. We have to embrace these tools, integrate them into our daily lives, and make them as essential as buckling up or checking the rearview mirror. This will make a world of difference for society and make the statistic of distracted driving drop slowly but surely.

But perhaps most importantly, we gotta lead by example. We can’t expect young drivers to take the dangers of distracted driving seriously if adults won’t do the same as us. That means putting down the phone for everyone, keeping their eyes on the road, and leading by example for the young generation and teaching them that safety always comes first, no matter what.

Look, by all means I’m no expert, I’m just a regular person who’s been touched by this issue in a way I never wanted to be. But I believe that if we can come together as a community, as a society, as human beings who care about each other, we can make a difference that can mean the world. We can change the tide and reverse distracted driving, we can save lives, and we can honor the memory of those we’ve lost by ensuring that their deaths were and will not be in vain.

Let’s raise our voices, let’s spread the word, let’s do whatever it takes to put an end to this pointless and senseless epidemic once and for all. Because the life you save might not just be your own—it could be someone’s friend, someone’s sibling, someone’s child and that’s a risk none of us should be willing to take ever in a million years.

And as we move forward, let’s not forget those who have already been lost to this pointless issue. Let’s keep their memories alive, let’s share their stories, let’s remind the world that behind every casualty, there’s a name, a face, a story that deserves to be heard. Let’s turn our grief into action, our pain into purpose, and our loss into change.

Because if we don’t, if we let ourselves stay numb to the staggering toll of distracted driving, then we’re failing not just ourselves, but every future generation that will have to drive on these dangerous roads. So let’s stand up, let’s speak out, let’s make a difference that will travel from generation to generation. And maybe, just maybe, we can spare others the heartache that has become all too familiar to far too many.