The teenager was texting back “almost there!” when she rear-ended the car in front of her at a red light. The family inside — two parents, two kids in car seats — came into my ER shaken, scared, and sore. All because of a two-second glance at a phone.
As an ER doctor, I see the aftermath of distracted driving regularly — and y’all this is PREVENTABLE! SO – for April, which is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, here’s one message I wish every parent and driver would take to heart.
In 2024, distracted driving killed over 3,200 people, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When you’re driving with your kids in the car, a split second of distraction doesn’t just put you at risk — it puts the people you love most at risk, too.
1. It’s Not Just Texting
Yes, texting is the most dangerous distraction because it takes your eyes, hands, and attention off the road all at once. But eating, adjusting your GPS, turning around to hand your toddler a snack, or even scrolling to find the right playlist — those count too. If your focus leaves the road, you’re driving distracted.
2. Set Yourself Up Before You Drive
The best way to avoid distracted driving is to remove the temptation before you pull out of the driveway. Put your phone in the glove box, the back seat, or on “Do Not Disturb” mode. Program your GPS and pick your music before you shift into drive. And if you need to respond to something? Pull over. It can wait.
3. Your Kids Are Watching
This one matters more than we realize. Children learn their driving habits from us years before they ever get behind the wheel. If they see you checking your phone at every red light, that becomes their normal. Model the behavior you want them to have when it’s their turn to drive — because that day comes faster than any of us are ready for.
4. Designate a Co-Pilot
If you’ve got a passenger — your partner, an older child, even a friend — let them be the one to handle texts, navigation changes, or finding that one song your toddler is screaming for. You focus on the road. They handle everything else.
5. Remind everyone “I have ONE job!”
When I’m driving, my kids often have many requests – “can you play my favorite song”, “Can you text my friend’s mom”, “What time is my baseball game?”. I remind them – “I have ONE job – that’s to GET YOU THERE SAFELY”. I repeat this, in the hopes that not only does it make us safer in that moment, but that my children internalize it, for one day when they’re drivers, as well.
**Want a video to share with teenagers about safe driving? My “What ER staff wish teen drivers knew” is FULL of amazing information (and check out the comments section, which is it’s own drivers ed course!)
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This April, make one commitment: when you’re behind the wheel, be behind the wheel. No glance at your phone is worth what I’ve seen in the ER.
Your kids are counting on you to get them there safely. That’s the only message that matters.
All my best,
- Dr. Darria
