In today's day and age, cell phones are more common than the common cold. Let's be real though, is there any reason you need to have another distraction while driving? There are pedestrians, traffic signs, directions, other cars to watch out for. There is no reason to take your eyes off of the road. No text message, Snapchat, call, or Facebook notification is more important than focusing on driving.

Fact: It takes only 3 seconds after a driver's attention has been diverted from the road for a crash to occur. And I know that no one looks at their phone in 2 second intervals. The sad reality of the matter is that 80% of car crashes are attributed to a driver being distracted or not paying attention. I don't know about you, but that number terrifies me.

At this point, you're probably wondering why this is an issue. Sure, people get into accidents - but distracted driving is an issue because people are not careful. You're probably thinking, "That'll never happen to me! I'm very cautious and just check my phone when it rings. I may miss something important!"

Yes, you will miss something important, but it won't be on your phone.

It could be a stop sign, or a red light, or something actually important.

But, of course, that will never happen, right?

It does. I promise it does. And I am living (and limping) proof that it does.

On November 4th of 2015, I was in a car accident of no fault of my own. A boy - someone I had gone to high school with - had ran a stop sign and t-boned my car. He was looking at his phone and had missed the stop sign. He wasn't paying attention and his speed had climbed far above the posted limit. My father and I were the ones who had to pay for it.

He walked away. I had to be pulled out of the smoking, smashed remains of the car. He got to walk away. I was loaded into the back of an ambulance and rushed to the trauma center, bleeding, shaking, and thinking I was going to die. He walked away, and I have spent every day since trying to pick up the pieces of my life.

I missed a month of school. I could not walk for about that time either. I spent a week in the hospital. I cried daily. I flinched while riding in cars - and I still do for that matter. I didn't get my license until I was eighteen, two years after the accident because I was terrified to get in a car let alone behind the wheel. The therapist I met with said my fight or flight instinct had locked into flight and that my body registered the fear I was feeling as a real threat. I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the age of sixteen. And even though it has been nearly four years since, I still get nervous when driving or riding in a vehicle and I have to live with that.

It was caused by someone feeling the need to check their phone while driving. It was caused by the selfishness and carelessness of an individual.

But, it won't happen to you, right?

And, if it does, you won't be the one hurt, at least, right?