In the midst of the morning scramble in the school parking lot, there have been several car accidents this school year involving student drivers.

Though Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bill making it illegal to manually use a cell phone or other electronic devices while operating a vehicle, distracted drivers are still behind the wheels. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents across the nation and the number keeps climbing day by day. 

Resource officer Sergeant Crystal King confirms that the number one cause she sees from crashes is texting while driving. While monitoring the parking lot in the mornings, she witnesses a lot of drivers on their phones. 

“I see a lot of kids on their phones instead of paying attention to the roadways.” 

On average, Generation Z spends about six and a half hours on their phones, which is just under two whole days spent a week alone scrolling through social media. While operating a two-ton vehicle at high speeds should be a major factor for drivers to put the screen down, unfortunately, that isn’t the case. 

Senior Taylor Kelsey admits that when she first started driving, she didn’t really care much about safety. While driving in Chelsea, she was using her phone and didn’t notice that she had gone up on the curb until she hit a few flower pots. 

“I was on my phone, and I just didn’t care, and I was just starting driving, so I ran over some flower pots, but got back on the road,” Kelsey said. 

Not only do screens distract drivers from paying complete attention to the road, but choosing who to let in the passenger seat while driving can be a key component in how the car ride goes and how distracted a driver is. Kelsey has also been in an accident because of a passenger and advises that students should be careful who they let in their car. 

 “The best thing to keep you safe while driving would be to eliminate any stressful people or any people that would distract you or frustrate you while you’re driving,” Kelsey said. 

 Along with screens and human interactions being distractions, other factors can create a higher risk for an accident such as road conditions, music, and even emotions or a person’s state of mind can create a higher risk for an accident.  Student Success Center leader Debrielle Lopez believes that part of the reason why there are so many distracted teen drivers is the independence that driving gives us. 

“They’re sixteen. They now have a car to themselves. They don’t have a parent with them so they have more free range,” says Lopez.  

However, officer King does say that it is not just teens who get distracted by technology, but adults as well. 

Math teacher Tracey Pardiac gets frustrated when she sees other drivers distracted. Sending or reading a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds. If a driver is going 55 miles per hour then that is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. 

“I am the kind of person that will honk at them and make hand gestures at them to get them back on task,” Pardiac said. “I don’t understand how people can be so selfish that they make that choice.” 

And she makes a good point. According to the NHTSA, in 2022 alone, there were 3,308 people killed by distracted driving. 

Whether it’s a phone, person, music, or even a fleeting thought, the facts show that a small lapse in attention can lead to dire consequences.  It’s crucial for all drivers to recognize the potential dangers of distracted driving to keep themselves and others on the road safe.