Letter to the Editor: Distracted Driving Affects All Ages

Dear Readers,

Although I am just 11 years old, I am fully aware of the dangers of distracted driving. It is scary to know that people die every day by distracted driving. Only 2 seconds with your eyes off the road can greatly increase the risk of a crash. 3,092 people died last year because a driver was distracted! I even know someone that got hit by a distracted driver - thankfully this person is OK but you never know, that person could have died!

Related:

I don’t have my driver’s license and I can’t drive, BUT I can help distracted driving stop. Girl Scout Troop 41059 is trying to get the word out to others through our awareness campaign called Just Drive. No Cellphones. No Distractions. We want people to take a pledge to stop driving distracted. 

April was Distracted Driving Awareness month, and even though April is over you can still help all year round! It doesn’t matter if you are an adult, teen or kid, you can still help save lives! An adult can set good examples and talk to their kids! You can pull over to a safe place to text, call, eat, or even change the radio. You can also ask a passenger to make a call or text for you. Teens are the highest risk of being a distracted driver. And kids, kids can tell an adult that it is VERY wrong to be a distracted driver.  Kids could also make calls for the driver in the car. Everyone can help distracting driving stop!

We need your help to stop distracted driving and start to Just Drive. No cell phones. No distractions.

Maggie Leonard
Junior Girl Scout
Troop #41059