Distracted Driving: Any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. (Texting, talking on the phone, eating/drinking, conversing with passengers, grooming, reading, using a GPS, watching a video, adjusting the radio, etc.)

Distracted driving injures over 1,060 people per day, killing at least 9.

I'm sure we can all think of plenty of presentations and lectures that we have sat through over the years about the dangers of distracted driving. From the videos and discussions in Driver's Education class to the commercials we see every single day on TV, the awareness is everywhere. Do we really pay attention to it? Do we even realize that we aren't invincible? Do we realize that it could happen to us in the blink of an eye? Are we aware our actions can kill?

The statistics continue to rise year after year, but nothing seems to change. People are still ignoring the idea that they are not only putting their own lives in danger, but they are jeopardizing others along the way. The same question gets asked over and over: Do you want to be a statistic?

This past week, I attended a convocation on campus given by Angel Beagle, the founder of the non-profit, Kate's Krew. It was created in loving memory of Kate Eliza Beagle, who was 19 months old when a 16-year-old distracted driver hit and killed her at a neighborhood bus stop.

The goal of the organization is to prevent distracted driving through awareness, education, and advocacy. They want to use their terrible experience and Kate's legacy to prevent tragedy in the future. No other family should have to endure what they had to. "Our mission is simple. Prevent untimely deaths by educating young drivers on the dangers of distracted driving."

I have heard countless stories of distracted drivers causing fatal accidents, but this story was unique. Hearing the heavy details of the event that killed a little girl who had barely spent a year on this Earth before her life was ripped away way too soon broke my heart. A group of innocent daycare children and their provider, who had just put one of their oldest onto the bus, were minding their own business on a neighborhood sidewalk when the unthinkable occurred. A speeding car was headed straight for them, and there was nowhere to go. The entire group was hit sending children and the daycare provider flying into a nearby lawn while the smallest baby, Kate, was stuck inside a stroller. This stroller had been immediately crunched in the impact and sent into the middle of the street. When the daycare provider regained consciousness after the impact, she immediately ran to the unrecognizable stroller to find Kate in really bad condition. None of the other children were fatal, but Kate passed away at the hospital from severe head injuries.

The fact that her mother, who had lost her infant just three short years ago, could talk in front of an audience about that day left me speechless. That has to take incredible strength. She had dropped her two daughters off at daycare that morning like any other day, and not even an hour later received a phone call of her worst nightmares. She never imagined that she would have to bury her child, nor should any parent have to go through that.

Angel kept making the point that the event was not an "accident." and that it was a "tragedy." Accidents cannot be prevented, and this very well could've been prevented if the teenage driver had taken driving seriously. It is a privilege, and it is your duty to pay attention at all times. You must take into consideration that you are not only responsible for your own safety, but for everyone around you as well. That means pedestrians, too.

Just like I said before, this story was unlike any one I had heard before. The driver was not distracted by a cellphone or by a passenger. Investigators proved that the driver was distracted by very loud music, and driving at excessive speeds through a neighborhood with careless disregard for everyone around him. Sure, the teen had probably driven down that street everyday to go to school, but that gave him no right to ignore what was going on around him.

Again, this case has gone down as another statistic... that was COMPLETELY preventable. How many of these tragedies have to occur before there is a change?

I'm sure we are all guilty of trying to multitask while driving, but we need to stop that invincible mentality. You can be the best multi-tasker on the planet, but it is physically impossible to be a safe driver while doing so on the road. Do me a favor. Save that ever-so-important text message and that Snapchat you are dying to send until you reach your nearest destination. I don't want to lose my life, and I'm sure you don't want to lose yours. Respect the road!