A Text Made My Life Flash Before Me

The music was up and good vibes were in play, until we slid to the side of the road and narrowly missed oncoming traffic. I was the passenger, and my friend had literally looked down for 2 seconds to text “on my way.” My heart jumped out of my body and then stopped, or at least it felt like it did. I’m not sure what stopped first, the car or my heart – but, thankfully both were ok in the end. It didn’t have to turn out this way. I know that I was given another chance to tell this story because it happens all too often and no one believes it will happen to them.

My friend and I were both educated on the risk of texting and driving and took it seriously. But, it only takes one moment not to take it seriously – and boom! I know that some people feel they have mastered texting and driving, but I’m here to tell you – it’s not worth it. I have literally seen my mom pull over and send a text, but that’s not exactly cool when you’re driving with friends. So, the solution is just to wait. There’s really not a lot to debate. It seems so small, until it gets big. And this was as big of a wake-up call as I’ll ever need.

I felt like I was waking up from a dream and a nightmare at the same time. I was happy to be alive, but wondered what would have happened to all the people that love me if I didn’t survive. These are the kinds of thoughts I want every driver and passenger to have when they get behind the wheel or sit in a car. Are you ok to drive? Is your phone on do not disturb or driver mode? Are you too tired? Are you clear on the road rules? This level of education is fundamental, but it’s our job as student activists as well as the educators to take it to the next level.

It’s one thing to understand the rules of the road, it’s another level to personally understand what happens when you don’t follow them. Putting more emphasis on the dangers of texting, whether it is making the laws even stricter when it comes to texting and driving or completely banning handheld phones while the car is moving — The lesson should never have to come at the sacrifice of one’s life or someone else’s. People text and drive because they know they can most likely get away with it. If more focused education around consequences, combined with stricter laws was part of the mission – perhaps we would have less deaths and accidents because of this selfish careless act.

Think about it, it takes 2 seconds to send a simple text. Those 2 seconds could have cost 2 lives in the near miss I avoided. This is something that I know I’m not the only one to have experienced, but I also know that everyone else who has, did not survive. So, it is with this experience that I’ve been even more purpose driven in sharing my story and holding friends accountable. It doesn’t have to be a heavy conversation, but it has to be a conversation. I see people joking about it and I’m reminded that we have work to do in the education part as well as personal accountability. If that means more fines, to save more lives – then that’s what has to be done. Drivers make illegal turns and speed with the same risk mindset that they text, and that has to end.

I may not be able to monitor everyone’s habits and save the world from texting deaths, but I’m a firm believer that every lesson should be paid forward if possible. When I share my “texting accident” experience the mood shifts and hopefully that person shares it with someone else. It takes all of us being more conscious drivers and passengers in order to reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by not taking the right to drive a car seriously. It is a right, and for many people my age – its a privilege. I advocate for honoring that right and privilege by taking it seriously. When I hear about people driving at high speeds or under the influence it baffles me, because its as if they completely ignore the fact that they are operating a 2 ton machine. 2 seconds, 2 lives, 2 words, 2 tons…Could mean gone too soon.