Hazards of Distracted Driving
by: Josef Lee
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/4/2/124296628/published/hfghgf.jpg?1550561806)
We all know about the dangers of drunk driving but it is not the only type of driving which can endanger you, your passengers, and others. These other types of driving are classified as distracted driving, which means that you are distracted while driving. This includes texting, talking to other passengers, road rage, eating or anything which causes the driver to be distracted. Now, it may seem like these activities are really not that time-consuming and will not pose any threats to you while driving, but the reality is that it does.
Darrel Harder
A man named Darrel Harder was struck by a vehicle driven by a young man eating chips, and suffered a severe neck injury which disabled the use of all of his 4 limbs, and a few years later on 2016, he passed away due to quadriplegic complications (Link for the full story and more below).
Kelly M.
Another experience, would be one from Kelly M., who was driving on the highway and stopped when she saw that there was traffic ahead of her. She then looked at her rear-view mirror and saw the driver of the car behind her with his head down, the car then crashed into hers (the image to the right shows the 2 cars on the highway). The driver who crashed into her car was reportedly on his phone, texting and ,at the time of the crash, playing with his radio. This accident not only destroyed Kelly's car but also her life. She was 23 at the time of the collision and it has changed her life completely. She even went to a psychologist in order to seek help for the psychological trauma that she has gotten from that accident. She said, " I have attempted suicide due to my unrelenting pain. No song on the radio or text on a phone can ever be this important." This is what distracted driving can do, and it does not affect only you but also the others.
My Cousins Story
Another story, will be my experience with a distracted driver. I was with my cousin, who was driving our van, this cousin of mine was not scared of the road, he could drive to Bicol from manila by land within only 10 hours. But then, one time, he accidentally hit a kid while driving through a narrow road. Now, the kid only suffered minor wounds, but this changed the way my cousin started driving, he took it more seriously, he drove more carefully and tried his best to focus on the road for as long as he was driving. So, all in all, there is no one exempted from the effects and hazards of distracted driving, this affects everyone in the vicinity of the accident may it be the driver's, the passenger's, the victim's or even the passerby's. So please, the next time you or your parents get distracted from driving think about all the people who made the same mistake and please learn from them.
Darrel Harder
A man named Darrel Harder was struck by a vehicle driven by a young man eating chips, and suffered a severe neck injury which disabled the use of all of his 4 limbs, and a few years later on 2016, he passed away due to quadriplegic complications (Link for the full story and more below).
Kelly M.
Another experience, would be one from Kelly M., who was driving on the highway and stopped when she saw that there was traffic ahead of her. She then looked at her rear-view mirror and saw the driver of the car behind her with his head down, the car then crashed into hers (the image to the right shows the 2 cars on the highway). The driver who crashed into her car was reportedly on his phone, texting and ,at the time of the crash, playing with his radio. This accident not only destroyed Kelly's car but also her life. She was 23 at the time of the collision and it has changed her life completely. She even went to a psychologist in order to seek help for the psychological trauma that she has gotten from that accident. She said, " I have attempted suicide due to my unrelenting pain. No song on the radio or text on a phone can ever be this important." This is what distracted driving can do, and it does not affect only you but also the others.
My Cousins Story
Another story, will be my experience with a distracted driver. I was with my cousin, who was driving our van, this cousin of mine was not scared of the road, he could drive to Bicol from manila by land within only 10 hours. But then, one time, he accidentally hit a kid while driving through a narrow road. Now, the kid only suffered minor wounds, but this changed the way my cousin started driving, he took it more seriously, he drove more carefully and tried his best to focus on the road for as long as he was driving. So, all in all, there is no one exempted from the effects and hazards of distracted driving, this affects everyone in the vicinity of the accident may it be the driver's, the passenger's, the victim's or even the passerby's. So please, the next time you or your parents get distracted from driving think about all the people who made the same mistake and please learn from them.