You
hear about drunk driving and distracted driving. There are acts that
are totally within your control to avoid doing while driving.
However, in today’s swirl of social media and endless notifications
seem nearly impossible to ignore. I was an advocate for this. I did
the oaths to avoid texting while driving as soon as I turned 16.


Yet,
as anything in life, unexpected circumstances cause unexpected
reactions. For me, it was the phone call I got this last August.
Both my grandma and my aunt had died in an accident. It was a
horrendous tragedy for my family. When I got this news, I shed a
tear but insisted that I was okay as I continued driving down the
road. But then, I felt a buzz and picked up my phone for a quick
second- or at least I swore so. Then BAM, I rear ended a truck.


Luckily,
my accident was small. No one was hurt. Not even a ticket was
given. But for others, accidents are deadly. Reflecting back, I was
no where in the mental state to continue driving after getting the
news. Additionally, I absolutely shouldn’t have glanced at my
phone. Distractions cause accidents. You see, sometimes oaths
aren’t enough. I signed a random piece of paper saying I would
never text and drive, but it is easy forgotten. What is most
important is recognizing when distractions of any kind inhibit
driving, whether that be from drugs and alcohol to notifications and
mental stability. The way to best recognize this is through
education and awareness. Whether it be through the driver ed
classes, signs on the road, or stories like this. When people
recognize signs in themselves of distracted driving and pull over,
lives are saved.


Nearly
4,000 people are killed every year from distracted driving. Being a
few minutes late and taking care of whatever may be distracting you
is worth saving a life. The best way to implement this is awareness.
The more stories that are told, the more people hear. And the more
people hear, the more lives are saved.