Hang Up and Drive!

"Mom and dad were in the same car as you; neither of them made it out." My brother had to repeat this sentence to me dozens of times over several weeks before I could really comprehend what he was telling me. Half my body was paralyzed AND my mom dad were both gone?? It hurt too much. It couldn’t possibly be true. It was my college graduation day. It had started so perfectly. How could it have ended so horrifically?? 

After four months in the hospital I moved home. Now I could find out what really happened. I Googled my own name. My brother was telling the truth. An 18-wheeler had hit our car. He was swerving to miss a young driver who had turned left through a red light while chatting on his cell phone, hands-free. 

I have since learned that my parents knew what they were talking about when they taught me how to drive: there is no safe way to use a cell phone while also being the only person in control of thousands of pounds of metal. In this scary world of global pandemics which can leave us feeling vulnerable and helpless we get the opportunity to protect each other every single time we get in a vehicle. 

What happened to my family happens hundreds of times a day. Loved ones stolen from our lives. Bodies mauled, plans for life forever altered. I have shared my story all over the country in the last decade and have yet to find a community who has not been touched by one of these preventable road tragedies. Please join us during this year’s Distracted Driver Awareness month to help prevent bringing any more pain to this world and commit to being the safest and most compassionate driver you can possibly be.

www.hangupanddrive.com