Every morning and afternoon, I drive to and from school on East Lake Avenue along with hundreds of other students. Most of the time, we drive in sync with one another, listening to music or carrying siblings all in near-perfect harmony.
And yet, it seems all too often that on my way home, I drive by a multi-car accident.
This year, I can recall at least three instances of traffic backed up, inching forward at a snail’s pace, only to see South students in distress on the side of the road.
The accidents are not limited to the streets, either. Careless driving by South students has caused countless parking lot accidents as well, leading to damaged cars, frantic calls home, and even concussions.
Although teen drivers make up just over 3 percent of all licensed drivers in the U.S., they are involved in 7 percent of fatal crashes, according to a 2019 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Admission (NHTSA). The same study found that the main contributor to teen driving accidents is distracted driving.
Teens today face a unique driving challenge their parents did not at their age: cell phones. I cannot remember the last time I was in a car without the driver ever touching their cell phone.
Sending one five-second text message or checking an urgent email might feel inconsequential, but every time a driver picks up their phone, it puts their life on the line.
Texting is the most hazardous of all types of distracted driving, according to the NHTSA. If sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds, at 55 mph you will cover the length of one football field, according to the NHTSA. Or, in the case of East Lake Avenue with its 40 mph speed limit, it means driving about the length of a Boeing 747 airplane (250 feet) all without looking at the road.
Illinois banned cell phone use while driving for all drivers under the age of 19 in 2014, including hands-free technology, according to the Illinois Secretary of State. Yet, nearly every teen I know uses Bluetooth technology as standard equipment in almost every car, which could equally be as dangerous as it does not stop cognitive distraction, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Since seeing the first several student accidents on East Lake of the year, I have tried to limit my distracted driving.
Instead of reaching for my phone to select the perfect song for an eight-minute drive, I try to tune into local radio stations. Although fiddling with the knobs and stations itself can cause distraction, I have found that radio shows and podcasts help me concentrate better on the road ahead.
Students can use this same approach by setting their radio or favorite podcast before pulling out of the driveway, allowing them to stay focused without the temptation of scrolling through playlists. By choosing audios that require no mid-drive adjustments, we can keep our attention where it matters most — on the road.
I do not expect the East Lake accidents to stop any time soon. However, paying a little more attention to the road can go a long way.
Spending even five seconds focused on the road instead of a screen can save you a lifetime serious injuries. 
