It was supposed to be an exciting day—a Saturday spent with friends, celebrating my 17th birthday, and attending a homecoming dance. My friend and I had just finished lunch at a restaurant and were driving down a narrow, winding backcountry road. I was taking her home before heading back to my home to get ready for her school dance. The afternoon was fun, a great start to my birthday, but as I rounded a blind curve, everything changed in an instant.
This narrow, shoulder-less, tree-lined road also has no markings or lines. Most back country roads in our rural town don’t. As I turned a blind corner I saw a car coming in the opposite direction. The driver was going too fast and on their phone. Just as we were about to pass each other, they veered into my lane. They didn’t slow down and didn’t seem to notice they had crossed over to my side of the road. I had no time to honk or react, just two options: crash head-on or swerve off the road and risk hitting a tree. Instinct took over, and I jerked the truck toward the side of the road, the ditch, to avoid a collision.
When my truck went off the edge of the road, the axle broke and it became impossible to control the truck. I tried braking harder but that sent the truck spinning into a ditch on the opposite side of the road. My friend slammed into the passenger window with enough force to give her a concussion, and both of us were thrown forward and backward,side to side, injuring our shoulders against the doors. The impact was so severe that my truck’s bed separated from the cab. Thankfully, we were both wearing seatbelts. And what about the other driver? They didn’t stop. Not even a glance to check if we were okay. Like they were unaware of what they just caused. Similar to how a drunk driver reacts. That disregard for our safety stuck with me the most.
The accident left us both injured and shaken. My friend and I both swim for our high schools, USA swim, and a club team. Because of the accident, we missed weeks of practice and several USA meets. Thankfully, we healed in time for the high school swim season, and we ultimately went on to medal at the state championships. But the idea that we could have been permanently injured terrified us.
This experience was a wake-up call, showing me how quickly things can go wrong, even if you consider yourself a safe driver. I had always seen myself as a careful driver, but like many people, I’d allowed myself to be distracted at times. I never thought much of it—until one distracted driver’s lapse in attention nearly changed our lives forever. That’s when I realized distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving—and it should be treated the same way.
I’ve seen people do all sorts of things while driving—texting, eating, putting on makeup. I’ve even seen someone reading while driving! It’s alarming. While most people understand that drinking and driving is a reckless and careless act, they often don’t view distracted driving as equally so. But why not? Both impair your ability to make safe decisions and react to what’s happening around you. Both can lead to accidents, injuries, or worse.
Drunk driving carries severe penalties for a reason—it can cause death and serious injury. Distracted driving can result in the same outcomes. A driver who looks down at their phone while traveling 65 mph is essentially driving blind for the length of a football field. At 75 mph, in just two seconds, you can travel 220 feet—the length of three semi-trucks. It’s absurd to think someone would pass three semi-trucks essentially blind, but it happens all the time. No wonder distracted driving is the leading cause of accidents.
Yet, the consequences for distracted driving are far less severe than for drunk driving. It’s time to change how we view these offenses. Both are deliberate choices. When someone chooses to take their eyes off the road, they knowingly put others in danger. Stricter penalties—similar to those for driving under the influence—could be a powerful deterrent. If distracted driving carried the same weight, perhaps people would think twice before picking up their phones.
Laws alone won’t solve the issue, though. Education and awareness are essential. We need more campaigns that convey the dangers and selfishness of distracted driving with the same urgency and seriousness as those targeting drunk driving. Schools, parents, and communities need to teach young drivers from the beginning that distracted driving isn’t a minor mistake—it’s a deadly decision that one chooses to make. And it’s not just teens who need this message. Adults are just as guilty, if not more so, of making the conscious choice to allow distractions behind the wheel.
Because of my accident, I am committed to avoiding distractions while driving. I keep my phone in "Driving Mode" and out of reach, and I speak up if I’m in a car with someone who isn’t paying attention to the road. Whether it’s friends or family, I’m not afraid to speak up because I care about their safety and my own. Our lives are worth far more than a text.
It’s time to change how we think about distracted driving. One second of distraction can alter lives forever. We need stricter laws, better driver education, and a collective understanding that distracted driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk. Until then, too many lives will continue to be put at risk for something that is entirely preventable.