I’d been walking just down the street with my brother, our minds on what we wanted to do with dad next, when the calm was shattered by a screech of twisting metal. My head snapped up to see my dad’s car- a familiar blue box I could spot a mile away- slammed as a black Jeep and white Volkswagen beetle barreled into him. The driver in the other car wasn’t even looking; their head was still tilted down, glowing phone in hand, as if my dad’s life was just background noise.
For a second, I couldn’t move. I felt stuck to the sidewalk, my mind struggling to catch up with what my eyes were seeing. This was my dad- careful, experienced, always putting safety first, yet there he was: vulnerable, a victim of someone else’s mistake. My brother started sprinting, and I quickly followed behind him. By the time we got there, my step mom and emergency responders had arrived, and my dad was safe, but shaken. I clutched my phone, realizing that just moments before, that same device was the reason someone else had lost focus and turned an ordinary day into a life-altering event.
He seemed fine. He was in his truck, , so we thought all was well. Had he been in a smaller car, the engine would’ve been in his lap. We thought he was fine because of his truck. He said he was fine, but it was the adrenaline; he wasn’t fine. A couple hours later, my dad started groaning in pain every couple of minutes and eventually did have to go to the hospital. The shoulder that he had previously gotten surgery on needed another surgery, a surgery that is happening as I write this essay now. My dad’s life has once again been completely changed. His surgery to fix his shoulder is one that will put him out of work for weeks, leaving him unable to provide for our family in the way he always has. My dad is a workaholic: he’s the person who works through anything- pain, exhaustion, and the grueling hours he’s put in over the years to keep things steady. Now, for the first time in my life, I see him forced to stop.
The day that he got into that car accident, I lost a dear family friend of ours a couple hours later, Cadence, to a distracted Mini Cooper speeding down I-79. In the span of twelve hours, I almost lost my father and lost a family friend to a device that stole their attention, their focus, and ultimately, two lives that can never be fully restored to what they were. In the span of twelve hours, a device meant to connect us instead tore apart the lives of two people I care deeply about. For Cadence, there will be no recovery. She’s gone, taken from us by a simple glance that no message could possibly be worth.
Experiencing two tragedies in one day has opened my eyes to the true epidemic of distracted driving. It’s not just dangerous; it’s deadly, and it’s claiming lives and futures that could have been. It’s particularly dangerous among young drivers who often feel a false sense of control. Many young drivers are so used to constant phone usage that they don’t think twice before checking their phones while driving. Some think that they can multitask anyways, so it’s no big deal, right? They assume they can handle it, that they’re “only looking for a second,” but a second is all it takes. Watching someone else’s mistake nearly cost my dad his life- and took Cadence’s away- was enough to show me how dangerous that mindset is.
To help raise awareness and prevent distracted driving among young drivers, I believe we need a shift in driving education and culture. First, I’d start with programs in high schools that allow students to see the true impacts of distracted driving. These programs should go beyond statistics and offer real, personal accounts from families impacted by distracted driving. Hearing from someone who’s lived through the trauma and loss that distracted driving causes could be beneficial for new and young drivers alike. When I was younger, my school had similar programs about kidnapping, where they taught us ways to protect ourselves and warned us of the dangers, providing tips and guidance. This same kind of experience-based programs need to be offered at a higher level for new, younger drivers.
Social media can also play a big role in raising awareness. Since many young people practically live on social platforms, a campaign featuring impactful videos could reach them in a way they’re comfortable and familiar with. Influencers can advocate for responsible driving or post videos demonstrating the consequences of distracted driving that could resonate with young drivers. I believe that influencers act as a pillar to a community, and community based events allow young drivers to internalize this responsibility of being a safe driver- and eventually, become advocates for it. This could also encourage young people to give back to their community by teaching their peers about the benefits of safe driving, organizing workshops, demonstrations or seminars about distracted driving for their peers.
Watching , the safest truck my dad had ever owned, completely stopped working by the impact of a little Volkswagen Beetle and the Jeep crushed my soul. Losing Cadence to a little Mini-Cooper, seeing the bruises on her knuckles at the funeral…it’s easy to think of distracted driving as “something that happens to other people” until it happens to you. Distracted driving affects everyone, and we can all play a role in preventing it. My hope is that by sharing our stories and advocating for safer habits, we can contribute to a culture that encourages drivers, especially younger ones, to take distracted driving as seriously as they take drunk driving. Giving new drivers a better education about being a prepared driver by introducing programs and utilizing social media platforms can significantly help bring awareness to this issue, bringing down these accidents as a whole. It’s time we all make a conscious decision to keep our eyes on the road, our hands on the wheel, and our minds on the responsibility that comes with driving.