Impact of Texting and Driving and How to Prevent It

Matthew is excited. It is the night of his senior prom, and he is about to leave his house to go pick up his date. Dressed in a dark blue suit, he smiles in the mirror and ruffles his hair one last time to give himself more a rough look. He glides down the stairs and after wrestling away from his mother’s kisses, he finally makes it to his car. As he sits in his rented Aston Martin, he texts his date, Jessica. “hey Jess, I’m gonna leave my house now. U ready?” Before Jessica has a chance to reply, Matthew begins the ten-mile drive to Jessica’s house. He turns up the radio’s music and begins to sing at the top of his lungs. Life was sweet. He had recently received a presidential scholarship to his dream school, the University of Southern California, and the girl of his dreams agreed to be his prom date. Bzzz Bzz. Matthew receives a text message. As he could not contain his excitement, he picks to see who it is. Though he was driving on Interstate 95 at 77 MPH, his curiosity got the better of him. He read the text. “Hey Mat! I’m ready. Can’t wait to see you 😊.” Matthew grins, and he begins to reply. “I can’t wait to see u too! Do you wanna eat befo- “. BOOM! Matthew never got a chance to send his text. He crashed into an 18-wheeler truck, sending his car into a windmill and hitting several others. Matthew died on impact. Texting while driving is an issue that greatly plagues society in general, but the risk is higher among teenagers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during daylight hours, around 660,000 people use their cell phones while driving. Teen drivers (16-19 years old) are nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal car crash than those 20 years and older. Although there have been laws enabled against texting while driving, it has become increasingly hard to enforce because monitoring cell phone activity requires a lot of time and effort. However, it can be done. I think that ultimately, the public response to this issue should be more jarring to teenagers. In the age of social media, it is much easier to consume information and be influenced by other people. As the teenage brain is still growing, it is very impressionable to messages regarding a topic such as texting and driving. I believe that influencers should be involved to raise awareness about texting and driving among teens. Professional athletes, musicians, actors, Youtubers, models, politicians, and any other type of influencers should come together to make a Public Service Announcement. They are the ones who most teenagers look up to, and their message would resonate more instead parents that seems like they are nagging. As an avid NBA fan, I imagine seeing LeBron James on a PSA telling the dangers of texting and driving and I would be more receptive to what he is saying. Another step that could be taken to help combat texting and driving is using modern technology itself. Using GPS systems and a feature in most modern smartphones that detects when the user is in a moving car, there should be an app that blocks incoming push notifications. To continue, another step that could be taken is having simulations in local neighborhoods that depicts an actual crash. Using dummies and fake blood and a damaged car, this can make teenagers uncomfortable and more self-conscious of their behavior. Instead of reading about the dangers, seeing it firsthand will prove to be more of a meaningful experience, and thus, more likely to change. Although there is much work to be done, I hope that one day we reach a point in society where stories like Matthew’s can never happen again.