2025 Drivers Ed Essay Contest

For many of us, we have experienced some form of distracted driving and if we must be completely honest, I’m sure we ourselves have committed some degree of being a distracted driver, especially as a teen driver. As I’ve gotten older, I realized the importance of making sure, when I am driving, I must give my full attention. In fact, When I became a military police officer in the United States Air Force, I saw my fair share of consequences when it comes to being a distracted teen driver. Going back to my own personal life, fortunately, I have not been in a situation where someone was distracted while they were driving and have caused me any sort of life altering situation. But that does not mean that I have also experienced some degree of distracted driving from another person. Years ago, I was driving around the city late at night and came to a red light. While I was waiting for the light to green, I slowly noticed another vehicle pulling up behind me. At the last minute when I came to the realization the person was not slowing down; he rammed into the back of my car. Both the driver and I were fine, but there were obvious damages to our vehicles. The other driver had a passenger with him and was furious at him because she mentioned he was on his phone.

The most common age group of people who have the highest proportion of distracted related accidents are 20-year-olds or under. Unfortunately, it has also become a common occurrence to see, whether it’s from someone you know personally or just watching the news. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting is not the leading cause of distracted related driving incidents, but it is one of the highest and is increased 23 times more than non-distracted driving. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) an estimate of 660,000 people are using cell their phones while driving. Being a distracted driver does not always mean your eyes are taken off the road. Other forms I feel that are overlooked of distracted driving can be manual, in other words taking your hands off the steering wheel while eating or cognitive, as in taking your mind off while driving because mentally there is so much going or maybe talking to a passenger in the vehicle. With these potentially fatal habits, there is recognition to respond to the question at hand: What ideas are there to reduce or eliminate distracted driving? Thankfully there is help to curve these statistics.

We are blessed to live in a time where there is technology and other resources that can help young drivers create habits of healthy driving and even rewards when it comes to removing distractions while driving. One example is by USAA, which is my personal favorite. USAA offers a program where if you reduce the number of times using your phone while driving you’re next insurance bill will be reduced. Other organizations have similar programs as well. Another app called “Teens and the driver’s seat” rewards individuals aged 16-25. While using this app, teens can earn points. They can accumulate and redeem these points to win prizes and host monthly contests for their safe driving performances. If prizes are not a motivation there are other way to reduce the consequences of distracted driving. Simply installing a camera can help reduce negative driving habits. It can also save time, money, and court appearances if you’re ever in a situation where you are needed to prove your innocence. As much as we would like to rely on drivers, especially the younger generation to hold their own accountability, the reality is that some people need some face-to-face encouragement to realize the importance of practicing safe driving habits. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents or guardians to encourage these habits. Just as there are programs that reward people on practicing safe driving, adults can also use apps that monitors their young one’s activities including how fast they are driving or other actions they are participating in while driving. Some apps are a great example of monitoring phone usage and car movement. Other apps allow people to monitor vehicle diagnostics and provides emergency assistance while the vehicle is in motion. Understandably as a parent or guardian of teens who drive, there is only so much you can do to reduce the habits of distracted driving. But the awareness should never stop. Simply talking to people about the importance of being a safe driver can be enough to help young drivers realize what they are doing can ultimately affect themselves and others around them. Joel Feldman, founder of “End Distracted Driving”, whose daughter, Casey Feldman, was killed by a distracted driver. Because of his experience he offers school presentations, resources and personal stories to make aware the dangers of distracted driving. Liz Marks, who was featured by the U.S. Department of Transportation, also shares her personal experience where she survived a devastating crash and now spreads awareness of her ordeal.

As we continue to spread awareness on the importance of distracted driving, no amount of messages are more important than keeping your eyes on the road. One famous quote that is widely used but still true to this day, “It takes 2 seconds to look at your phone, but it can take a lifetime to recover from what happens next.”