Who Said Words Could Never Hurt? by Lexi

Who Said Words Could Never Hurt? by Lexi - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

When asked what subject I would choose to speak about to a school-wide audience, a number of thoughts engulfed my mind. However, one idea struck me better than the others: teen texting and driving. The issue seemed completely relevant given the demographics of the audience.
Did you know that the average time taken to glimpse and read a text message is five seconds? If driving at 55 miles per hour, those five seconds would equal the distance of a football field. Those five seconds of not watching the road causes 1.6 million automobile crashes annually. In addition, eleven teenagers are killed daily due to the distraction of cell phones while driving.
Growing up in a small private school, everyone seemed as family. We all shared a special bond. As that could be a good thing, it could also be bad when something devastated happened. I can't count the number of times I felt pure heartbreak because of the loss of a classmate. Most often, the loss was traced back to an automobile accident caused by distracted driving.
One story that is dear to my heart is the one of a classmate whom was a senior when I was in kindergarten. At my old school, each kindergartner was assigned a senior to participate in activities with throughout the school year. We would go bowling, play on the playground, and have holiday parties with our senior pal. One of my friends had a lively, energetic male pal. He always stuck out to me because of his love of life. However, one day, he was killed on a back road due to distracted driving.
Just because you think it can't happen to you, doesn't mean a thing. Your life could flash right before your eyes in the matter of seconds. No text message could be worth the loss of an innocent life. Put the cell phone down, for it can wait. Don't be another statistic.