In A Split Second

How could her split-second decision have such a ripple effect? Everyone was instantly aware of her entrance whenever my cousin Jenny entered a room. Her vibrant personality was as grand as her smile. Quick-witted, kind, and sometimes silly, she was always willing to help others. My cousin made a tragic decision that changed the trajectory of her life, her family’s life, and the life of a family she had never met. Her impulsive decision to make a social media post while driving caused a collision that permanently damaged her once radiant smile and also robbed a family of the ability to see their child’s smile again. Instead of planning the decor for her college dorm room, she spends her time reliving the accident over and over. Just as her car was destroyed from the accident’s impact, so was Jenny’s future as she had envisioned it.

The impact of my cousin’s decision also greatly impacted my close-knit family. Because of her injuries, her parents had to miss work to be at the hospital with her. Her parents had to take out a home loan to cover her legal fees, and they had to use money from her college savings account, too. The financial impact of her decision has been a significant burden to her parents.

Although Jenny did not take a driver’s ed course, studies have shown that students who take driver’s ed courses have fewer car accidents and traffic violations. Not only does driver’s ed help to decrease the risk of fatal accidents, but it also helps to decrease the risk of alcohol-related driving, traffic violations, and car accidents leading to injury or death.

Teens taking driver’s ed are also more likely to develop healthier driving habits. From putting on their seatbelts to being more aware of traffic laws to being more aware of traffic hazards, driver’s ed has proven beneficial to young drivers.

Jenny lived in a state that does not have hands-free laws for texting or using mobile devices while driving. Maybe my cousin would have been less likely to pick up her phone if she lived in a state with stringent and enforceable laws about texting while driving. In states with such laws, the rates of texting-while-driving accidents have significantly decreased. Just as some cities can give tickets when people run red lights, cities should use technology that will give tickets when people text while driving.

Better technology could have helped to stop Jenny’s accident. She had an older car that did not detect when she was using her phone. Technology that would have disabled her phone could have prevented the accident. Cell phone manufacturers can continue to improve their technology and develop apps or programs that prevent people from texting or using social media while driving. Such technology could disable the phone or send warning signals when the phones are used while the car is active. New technology that alerts parents when their children are using social media or sending texts when driving could prevent accidents like Jenny’s. Cars that send warnings when the driver’s eyes are not focused on the road could help prevent accidents like Jenny’s, too. Technology that sends messages to insurance companies about this data may provide negative feedback to people who consistently use their phones while driving. Insurance discounts might financially encourage people to drive responsibly.

Jenny’s decision to use her phone while driving truly influenced how I approached driving. Her accident and the loss of life that resulted from her decision are a constant reminder that I must do everything I can to be a safe driver. From ensuring everyone in the car with me has on their seatbelts, disabling texting and social media while driving, and volunteering to be a designated driver with my friends, Jenny’s tragic accident has provided life lessons.

I often speak about Jenny’s split-second decision. Sharing her story is one of the best real-life ways I can help make the roads safer. I often share her story with my friends because Jenny was close to my age when her accident happened. My friends can easily see themselves in her story.

We can not reverse the collision that changed my cousin’s life and the life of the family that lost a loved one. However, each of us can advocate for young drivers. We can do so by vocalizing the need for driver’s ed, advocating for enforceable driver safety laws, and insisting on improved phone and vehicle safety. Together, we can change the trajectory of traffic safety.