Student Reflections & Projects

e Ryan M. Schroeder

Defining Distracted Driving, My Personal Definition

Distracted driving is any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the primary task of operating a motor vehicle safely, which increases the likelihood of an accident (CDC, 2019). These distractions come in four basic areas, which are visual, auditory, manual, and cognitive (Feldman, 2019). A visual distraction would be a driver looking at something other than the road, like the radio, navigation display, a passenger riding along, etc. An auditory distraction would be a sound that takes the driver’s attention away from the road, like the radio playing or a sound outside the vehicle. A manual distraction would be operating something within the vehicle that takes the driver’s eyes off the road. Finally, a cognitive distraction would be the driver focusing his or her thoughts on something other than driving. Statistically, the most dangerous form of distracted driving is texting, which was the focus of our discussions and readings this semester in class (Currin, 2019). The reason texting is so deadly is because it encompasses three areas of distracted driving. It requires the driver to be visually, manually, and cognitively engaged making a trio of distractions that take the driver’s attention off the road and his or her surroundings. Statistics indicate that almost 30% of distracted driving accidents can be attributed to cell phone use, with 10% of fatal accidents being attributed to distracted driving in some form (CDC, 2019). Although distracted driving incidents are underreported, there were nearly 4,000 people killed and another 400,000 injured in these type of vehicle accidents in 2015 (Feldman, 2019). Most shocking is that teen drivers are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a distracted driving accident, so it is a real issue that should be taken seriously by all drivers (CDC, 2019).

The Impact of First Year Seminar

The impact of first year seminar has been significant. There is a lot of information circulating about the potential ramifications of driving while texting, but even with all the research available it really does not hit home until it becomes more personal. That piece came into sharper focus with Reggie Shaw’s visit to our seminar class this semester. What Shaw did was to put a face on what many teens would look at as just information or numbers on a page. There is in some way an invincibility in the teen mind that says those things happen, but they do not happen to a person like me. I am a better driver than most. I can multi-task better than most. I am really careful when I use my phone at stoplights, in lighter traffic, etc. The reality is—and the point that Shaw brought home—is there is no safe time to be using your phone or texting when you are operating a motor vehicle. There are just too many people out there not paying attention and this means you have to drive for yourself and everyone else as well. There is simply too much going on when you are driving a car, sometimes at higher speeds, that weighs 2000+ pounds, for a person to be focused on anything other than the road in front of them. Shaw, in a way, represents me, meaning what happened to him could happen to anyone. He did not do anything malicious, did not intend to hurt anyone, but is living each day knowing the poor choice he made took the lives of two people. That has impacted him, but more significantly the families of those that were killed. Shaw goes to sleep each night with that weight on his shoulders, while the families he impacted will never see their loved ones again. Another significant lesson learned this semester is that distracted driving does not just mean no cell phone use while driving a car. Operating a motor vehicle comes with a lot of responsibility and that means it requires 100% focus to do it well. All of the conveniences in the modern car, some designed to keep us safer, actually serve as a distraction that is almost as bad as driving impaired. All of us have reached down to the floor to retrieve a dropped item, gotten something out of the glovebox, adjusted the volume on our favorite tunes, or messed with the climate control while driving. These are every bit as dangerous as texting and driving, and these potentially come with the same consequences that Shaw experienced (Currin, 2019). A brief second of eyes off the road has the potential to alter a number of lives irreversibly, and always in a negative way. Personally, I could not live with the thought that I hurt someone else, especially when it was completely preventable. My thought is the climate control, radio, that dropped item on the floor have a lot less importance to me now than they did at the outset of first year seminar. It reminds me that the choices we make always have consequences, positive or negative, and those should be weighed heavily in all things we do, especially when getting into a vehicle.

Eliminating Distracted Driving

All of the readings, research, and discussions in class have created a focus on potential solutions to reduce the possibility of an accident. First, there is a definite need for continuing education for young drivers. As much as this issue has impacted society, there is really no structure in place—aside from basic information associated with driver’s education courses—that create greater awareness on this issue. It could certainly be taught as part of the regular high school health curriculum as it pertains to personal and community safety. Second, cell phones should clearly be utilized for emergencies only, and teens not able to take this responsibility seriously should likely not have a cell phone in their vehicle. An emergency means one that has the driver safely pulled off the road, emergency flashers on, and calling to get help. A driver could silence his/her phone and put it in the glovebox for safe keeping as a way to prevent possible distraction. Third, drivers can definitely limit the number of passengers in the car. Everyone likes traveling with friends to do things together, but statistics show the greater the number of passengers, the more likely there is to be an accident. It is simply not possible to pay attention to the road as well as all the distractions that happen during the course of conversations. If passengers are in the car, there should definitely be an understanding that the most important thing at hand is keeping everyone in the vehicle safe. Finally, we all have busy lives, but multi-tasking in the vehicle is something that should be avoided. This means no adjusting controls, using touch screens, eating, etc. All of these things serve as catalysts that divide a person’s focus and can lead to an accident. When peoples’ lives are in the balance, those things that seem to be so important should be taking a back seat to personal and community safety.

Summary

Distracted driving is anything that takes the attention of the driver away from the road, thus increasing the likelihood of an accident that can lead to serious injuries or death. There are four types of distracted driving that include visual, auditory, manual, and cognitive impairments. These include added passengers, climate controls, loud music, and cell phone use to name just a few. Many times, the very features built into modern cars, to keep us safer, are distractions as well. This has been one of the most important “take-aways” from first year seminar. It was not necessarily a realization that a distracted driving problem exists, but that it can impact me directly unless I make changes to my own driving habits. The critical swing point in my mind was having Shaw speak to the class. He put a face to the issue and made it more personal. As with myself, Shaw is a typical person that cares for his family, has dreams and aspirations like the rest of us. He is not a hardened criminal, or malicious, just simply a person that made a really serious mistake that could happen to any one of us unless we take driving seriously. Shaw helped me realize the types of things that I do each day in the car, aside from limiting cell phone use, also have to potential to harm myself or others. It can be reaching for that item on the floor or adjusting the radio that is all it takes to shatter a life. In response, people should be committed to cell phone use in emergencies only after they have safely left the road, reduce multi-tasking when driving, as well as the number of passengers within the vehicle. All of these things reduce the possibility of a distracted driving incident. On a larger scale, there needs to be a greater commitment to educating youth on the potential impact they can have on others, like the one Shaw made. In my mind, making it more personal is the key, rather than just providing a quick lesson or literature on the topic. It needs to be part of every high school’s mandatory curriculum whether a student takes driver’s education or not. Works Cited CDC. “Distracted Driving.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2019, www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html. Currin, Andrew. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” NHTSA, NHTSA, 8 May 2019, www. nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving. Feldman, Joe. “Learn the Facts About Distracted Driving.” EndDD, End Distracted Driving, 2019, www.enddd.org/the-facts-about-distracted-driving/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_6PznfPK5QIVwp6zCh3C8goYEAAYASAAEgLsUPD_

BwE.

e Camille Begnaud

Ihave chosen to create a unique personal piece of artwork, Lives in the Palms of My Hands, to symbolize what I have taken away from First Year Seminar. What you will see on my paper in the background is the road and in the middle are two hands with butterflies in them. The hands are mine. The butterflies represent all of the people traveling around me while I am driving. This is my way of symbolizing that when I am driving on the road, it is not just my life that I have control over, but also the lives of dozens of people driving around me. After many meetings and speakers we have had over the last few months, I have realized that in full. One thing stuck with me the most from the presentation from Save A Life was that you make a choice every single time you sit in the driver’s seat of a car, you make the choice. If you are intoxicated you decide whether or not you should drive. When you are headed to school in the morning and you hear the ding of your phone, you make the decision of not only answering a text, but you make the decision of if you are going to put the other people around you and your own life in danger. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to realize that a huge danger in this world is seriously in the palms of our hands. I have worked my best to not be as distracted as I used to be while driving. My phone is now completely on silent every time I get in the car. After hearing Mr. Shaw’s story and how he still thinks about how he took two fathers away from two different families, I do not want to risk the chances of me being in that situation.

I have always loved the analogy “The Butterfly Effect,” “The scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever.” I like to think that even the smallest thing like putting my phone on silent while driving will change the lives of travelers around me.

Distracted Driving

Dawn hits early on this particular Sunday morning,

Into her jacket she reaches to find the keys

Sitting close, young Jude ties a double knot

The leather seats seem to glisten as they heated up

Reaching down mother took her eyes off the road

Ads popping up seem too hard to resist

Crash! It was all over so suddenly

The windows crackled as we gained consciousness

Every single muscle in our body seems frozen

Distracted… As a young man, distracted driving has always been an idea which I overlooked and underappreciated. The main argument for the idea always seem to be texting. However, once my mother was involved in a car crash a few years back my perspective was changed. My mother had dropped her phone while cruising the neighborhood with my younger siblings and our dog in the car. By the time her head came up, the front end of the car had already crashed into a giant electricity pole. The small Toyota stood no chance against the huge object. Luckily, no one was injured, but the idea that for just one second of distracted driving could possibly lead to something extremely traumatic, really stuck with me. By revisiting this delicate memory and event, it caused me to remember the emotions and vivid details that had occurred. I can still picture my father running down our driveway after the car to see if anyone was hurt.

I chose to write an acrostic poem, because I thought it would be unique and also cool to write a poem which had a deeper meaning shown through the first letters of each sentence. I also mention my younger brother, Jude, in the poem, which signifies the huge importance of the passenger. Distracted driving is something most people have never had consequences for, but should follow guidelines regardless. As I have researched this topic and developed a new understanding for the importance of this subject, I found some interesting facts based on the distracted driving laws in the state of Missouri. Missouri law says drivers of 21 years of age or younger are prohibited in sending, reading, or writing electronic messages while driving. Consequences include a $200 fine and two points taken against your license. Missouri is the 23rd state to ban texting, but just the ninth state to single out a certain age group. If staying in one place for a significant amount of time, one should truly know the distracted driving laws in that state. Distracted driving will always be something that I carry with me in the future, it will also be something that I must encourage others to do better at and follow.

Distracted driving is the action of driving while also being submerged in a different task. Driving distracted normally takes your attention away from driving which leads to dangerous wrecks or even sudden deaths. In other words, distracted driving is a careless task that not only puts the driver at risk but also everyone else on the road. This task can include using a device, eating, having other people in the car, using alcohol or drugs, and many other types of distractions that create danger to the driver and others on the road. Since driving has been around, driving while being distracted has killed more than three thousand people every single year. This number has been gradually increasing and is predicted to only keep rising. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Each day in the United States approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver” (2019). This is insane to even think about and is devastating to picture all of the deaths and injuries that could have easily been prevented.

Although I have not been primarily affected by distracted driving, it has affected my family and friends very heavily. In 2015, my brother and sister were driving to a friend’s house in hopes of helping them out after they had a very personal death occur. As they were turning into the driveway, a woman who had dropped her phone and started to pick it up off the floor board did not see that my siblings had stopped. As they waited for a car to pass so they could turn, the woman slammed her van into the back of a new car my parents had just bought. The brand new car was “totaled” and my siblings were injured and have severe neck and back problems to this day. After the accident, the woman said that she could not wait to get her phone off the ground as her sister was calling her. This is upsetting to me because she could have easily killed both of my siblings just for one phone call. It was not worth it. I am so thankful that I still have my siblings here with me today. This is only one experience, but I have many different stories coming from others that are very devastating to hear.

This issue is an extreme national epidemic, because every single person knows about the dangers of distracted driving, yet every driver or even non-driver has been associated with it at some point in their life. This is upsetting, because people like Shaw can preach about the devastations of distracted driving, yet people still make the choice of driving distracted. This epidemic will continue to keep happening, because people are addicted to their devices and tend to get bored without them even for a short drive down the road. This is why accidents are more likely to happen in a more familiar setting within a five mile radius to the driver’s home. I think this is due to the fact that people tend to think that because they have driven the same route for so long they will be fine using their phone. This is the major reason why there are so many deaths associated with distracted driving every year. According to Montway Auto Transport, “other reasons why we drive distracted include trying to make the most of the drive time, catching up on calls, doing makeup, eating, and more. When you think you are doing two things at once; however, your brain is actually switching back and forth between tasks” (2019). Based on this article, I think that most people use driving as an escape, so they will always drive distracted.

I am so thankful and glad that distracted driving was our topic for FS 101, because it has made me realize that one little action can affect not only you, but also so many others. Before talking about this problem, I was always driving distracted and now I always put my phone away in the console of my car so I am not tempted to use it while driving. Shaw’s story has affected me in such a strong way, because it has made me realize that I should be grateful for everything I have in life before it is too late. Some details from Shaw’s lecture have been resonating with me. I noticed that he just seemed very depressed and sad all the time, because of his one mistake. This is very upsetting to me, because he says he forgives himself, yet it is very hard to tell if he has actually forgiven himself or not. Another detail that resonates with me is that he said that he wishes that he could have just gotten away with a ticket before it was too late. This is very impactful because it makes me realize that one mistake can change your whole life.

My definition of distracted driving has changed dramatically, because I never really thought a lot about it till now. I used to define distracted driving as doing a small task while also driving, but I have now realized that it is so much more than that. Since the issues of distracted driving continue to get worse, we should all work to counter the issues and be change agents against distracted driving. We can all do this by giving ourselves reminders while we are in a vehicle, raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, create harsher laws or punishments for distracted driving, improve education on it at an earlier age, and so much more. By taking these actions, the deaths and severe injuries caused by distracted driving will hopefully decrease in the future. This is a serious problem around the world and we must make a change before it gets worse or primarily affects us as individuals.

Works Cited:

“Distracted Driving.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2019, https://www.cdc. gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html. “Top 5 Reasons to Stop Driving Distracted: Montway Auto Transport.”

Blog, 12 July 2019, https://www.montway.com/blog/top-5-reasons-tostop-driving-distracted/.

Reggie Shaw

September 22, 2006 6:30 am I was on my way to work; The roads were bad But I’m a pro And… I do this all the time I sent text messages back and forth Like I was big and bad And then… BOOM! That’s an ECHO 10-85 I’m sorry! I took two lives I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone Nobody ever told me that my inability to focus would land me jail I’m sorry! James Furfaro, Keith O’dell They were fathers Keith O’dell, James Furfaro They were husbands I took away someone’s whole world with my very own hands I’m sorry! I wish I would’ve known that Known that Distracted driving equals drunk driving And Drunk driving equals distracted driving They call it inattention blindness And Even though I don’t wear glasses Even though I passed the vision test Even though I had my driver’s license Everything I knew just flew right out the window *oooh child things are gonna get easier* *Oooh child things’ll get brighter* In Utah a fatality is a ten thousand dollar fine and up to ten years in prison Maybe it was God or maybe destiny All I know is that for some reason the judge spared me One month in jail and some community service Talking to teens Looking back, I realize that it was both God saved me from prison But the accident allowed me to fulfill my destiny I have traveled all over To teach teens about the dangers of distracted driving Begging them not to text and drive And Making them Understand that They Don’t Want to be another me Reggie Shaw

Part 2

*you’re broken down and tired of living life on a merry go round and you can’t find the fighter, but I see it in you so we gon’ walk it out*

Through my Eyes

If you could see it through my eyes Reggie Shaw is just another white guy Who got little to no time for committing a 10-85 But Trayvon Martin didn’t even get that They laid him in his casket, just because he had an Arizona in his hand and a skittle packet Oops! Did I just do that? Turned Reggie Shaw’s case into a “Race thing” Black people sure do make everything about them

July 30,2018 I was on my way to a funeral And then… BOOM! I T-boned the car and The airbag exploded I burned my arm, but that’s not what made me start crying The driver in the other vehicle A white woman in her thirties Came up to the car “Are you okay?” My five month old niece in the back! I didn’t care about me After she heard the sirens She got in her car and drove off We had a picture of her license plates The officer said that he couldn’t find a vehicle registered with them Another round of injustice? She ran that stop sign because she was texting and I had to deal with the consequences of her actions Maybe it’s not a race thing And I’m completely crazy But what a coincidence Two people doing the same thing one with a small penalty And the other with none I can’t wear heels anymore God knows I loved my heels She didn’t take my breath away from me Like Reggie did to those two men However she did take life out of me She murdered my self confidence And my style I went from dresses to heels To rocking my memory foam tennis shoes and some pants So yeah I get the message Don’t Text and drive But we all have to be of one accord And with that I say this Unity is justice for all So let’s take a stand to stay off our phones No texts and No calls Now I’ll ask you this… Do you see it through my eyes?

e Emily Akright

For my First-Year Culminating Project, I chose to create a digital drawing. I wanted my project to be a digital advertisement that could be used for a poster, billboard, or really anything similar. Mostly, I wanted it to catch the audience’s eye. I hope this can be either be an informative advertisement for those who somehow may not realize how bad distracted driving can be or an eye opener for those who do know how dangerous driving distracted is, but still choose to do it or accept it. I think the main focus of my project will probably be the text in the foreground because it is the closest to the audience and it has the actual message written out. The main point of my poster is the message of speaking up when you see distracted driving. Several times throughout the semester we have heard statistics about how most drivers said they would put down the phone and pay attention, if their friend asked them to. An online source I found reported that 57% of people were more likely to stop driving distracted, if a friend or passenger pressured them to (AT&T, 2018). This message should remind people of this and hopefully encourage them to speak up. Despite this, I do not want the other parts of my project to fade out the audience’s mind. Although the crashed car and the body outline are in the background and could be easy to miss, I think they still need some attention. These represent the very real consequences that can come from distracted driving. I chose the body outline because I did not want to make my project very graphic, but I still wanted it to send a clear message.

Overall, the goal of my project is to make people think twice about what they do behind the wheel. Drivers should put their distractions away and we should all remind each other just how dangerous distracted driving can be. My poster may not have the biggest effect, but if it makes just one person speak up when they see distracted driving, that could be one more crash that was easily prevented.

Works Cited:

AT&T. “Sporting Events, Assemblies and Pay Announcements. “ItCanWait,

AT&T, 2018.

Distracted driving goes way beyond what would be some individual’s initial thought, texting. Distracted driving is defined as anything that would divert your attention from the road while you are driving. This has become very common, especially among young adults. I do not think there is enough substantial awareness about distracted driving. It is quite evident that distracted driving can be really dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, but when hearing that, it is easy for it to go in one ear and out the other. Having Reggie Shaw come and tell his story gave an enlightening perspective on the whole topic of distracted driving.

Reading Shaw’s story in the book, A Deadly Wandering, really affected my view of not only texting and driving, but distracted driving in general. The essay that we wrote also helped me come to the realization that I was participating in this epidemic and did not quite know the magnitude of the consequences that could come with those decisions. Hearing Shaw’s story first hand really shows that a fatal tragedy can happen to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. And, these decisions not only affect you, but affect every other person on the road. Hearing Shaw talk about the families he had affected in the accident really hit home for me. He had explained that the night before the accident Keith O’Dell was planning his daughter’s wedding with her, and because of Shaw’s decision to text and drive, O’Dell never even got the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. This really affected me, because it had me putting myself in her shoes and how crushed I would be if I lost my father or any of my family members.

Having the experiences that I have had in First Year Seminar have really opened my eyes in regards to distracted driving. It became a habit for me and almost second nature to answer a text or phone call while I was driving. But now I know that there is no text worth taking my life or the life of someone else. Having the opportunity to hear from the panel, the Save a Life Tour, the driving simulators, and hearing from Shaw himself was way more than I could have ever imagined. Being able to gain all the knowledge from the different perspectives on the panel was very beneficial and it was nice to have an open discussion with questions. Everyone has different knowledge to offer based on their education and prior experiences. Also when reading a book, it is helpful to come together and have a discussion about it. Most of the time someone will catch something that maybe you did not notice when you read it. And, I appreciate them taking the time to answer and elaborate on some of our pressing questions.

The videos shown at the Save a Life tour were very touching and made me quite emotional at some points. Sometimes to fully understand the consequences of these actions, you have to see how it has affected someone’s life. Once you have seen that it can affect an ordinary person, it then becomes very real, and we start to realize that we could potentially be that person.

Using the texting and drunk driving simulator was a fun handson way for us to directly see just how much distracted driving can affect you. Teens especially have a tendency to think we are invisible, when in reality we are not. Sometimes we may think that we have everything under control, but when you are driving, the only thing you have control over is yourself. There is no way of preparing yourself for how anyone else on the road is going to drive.

Lastly being able to hear Shaw tell his story in person had to have been the best opportunity of them all. Shaw was very genuine and empathic regarding the families he affected. I think that though he experienced an awful tragedy, he is doing his best to turn it into a learning experience and something that could potentially change other people’s lives. It is hard to be empathetic towards him knowing what he had done, but it is also important to put yourself in his shoes and try to imagine the guilt that he will have to live with for the rest of his life. Even after 13 years, he was still emotional on stage while he was talking. There is no way of knowing if he will ever be able to forgive himself. One thing that really stood out to me was how he described the close relationships he now has with the families of O’Dell and Furfaro.

The final lesson I took from Shaw’s discussion was the importance of forgiveness. If the families that were affected by Shaw’s decision can forgive him, then there are very minor things that everyone should be able to forgive. Life is too short to hold grudges, especially in Shaw’s situation. The families that were affected came to the realization that holding a grudge against Shaw is not going to bring Furfaro and O’Dell back. To avoid this all together everyone should pledge to not driving distracted.

To Have, To Take

To Take Life.

Heartbreak, Depression, Sorrow, As if stabbing with a knife. Someone will not see tomorrow.

Without Sight. Technology, People, Thoughts, And without your eyes there is no light. Wishing you would have rethought.

To Choose.

Life or Death, Yet most have chosen wrong. To Take Life and To Have Death are one.

With No Care.

Reckless, Rash, Refuse, So there will be no heart to spare. Who else is there to accuse?

A Moment Is Quick. Who, What, When, Where, Why for a Breath, For all these people might be homesick. To Have Death. I wrote a poem, because I feel that for such a horrific topic a poem can condense the morbid part of the idea and shine light on what is important. First, I rhymed ever stanza except the middle one and there are five stanzas. The reason I did this was to express that during your life everything can be going smoothly and simply, like a rhyme, but then all of a sudden out of nowhere, it can take a turn for the worst and something terrible can happen which is represented by the non-rhyming stanza. Second, I capitalize Life and Death through the whole thing because I believe they are both living entities, because from this specific topic, Life and Death can be controlled and can be reasoned with. In the first stanza I talk about what it means to be distracted and drive and what the consequences or outcomes can happen because of it. The second stanza speaks to how it can happen and what can cause distracted driving by taking your eyes off the road, to give something else attention when you should not. The third stanza is talking about how to drive distracted is our choice as people. We can choose whether or not to drive distracted and whether or not we are going to choose to have death and take a life or not. The fourth stanza talks about why we drive distracted, which is because we do not care, and we are rash, and we refuse to accept that we are at fault when we cause destruction because of her our distracted driving. Finally the fifth stanza is the culmination of this project topic. This poem it is saying that a moment is quick when you are driving; it only takes the quickest moment for everything to go to hell. Before we do drive distracted, we should think about who, what, when, where, and why for what we are doing and to choose to be distracted. The last line speaks to the first line and then really connects “To Take Life” and “To Have Death” are the same thing. They mean the same thing; however, when we choose to be distracted while driving, we are choosing to have death; therefore, we are going to take life. I also mention this in the third stanza, to state and signify, that they are one. Since we choose to have death by distracted driving, this leads us to taking lives that should be spared.

e Isabella Brauner

Idecided to focus on how Reggie Shaw’s story affected me and boil it down to one little piece of art. I drew and painted a picture of a person sleeping in a bed on one side, and on the other, the person lying in a coffin. I wanted to show the choice we can make by being distracted at the wheel or choosing to push those distractions away. The person does not have to symbolize the viewer, but can symbolize a potential person their actions might affect. Over 3,328 dots compose only part of my mixed medium project. There are three meanings to the 3,328 dots that make up the picture. First, they represent the average number of people who die each year due to distracted driving. Second, dots are not as reliable or constant as a line, dots can change size, shape, and constancy which is a little bit like life, very uncontrollable and very changeable. The dots we form make up our life, and if we choose to drive distracted, we start to solidify the right portion of the photo, either for us or someone else. Third, the dots symbolize our memories which make our life special. Some are small, small big, some run together, and some stand independently by themselves. The picture is painted loosely with watercolors to show that we all paint our own pictures through life, choosing what colors and designs we want. However, by texting and driving we threaten the harmony of our picture. If we are in that rough 3,328, we will no longer be able to use that brush and make the decision of what colors to fill our lives.

Lyrics

Saturday morning I’m walking down the street into the city I just need a break from all of the noise and chaos and the work I do I message my friend To see if he can hang for a little while I tell him meet me at the park at lunch break He responds with only one quick word “Yeah”

(car crash sound) Oh no

No that can’t be

that’s not him, that’s not him, it can’t be it is

that’s my friend there, dead now I should’ve known he was driving And now I’m to blame

What I didn’t say then now has become an eternal goodbye My project is a music track with added vocals which details a normal busy morning for an ‘average Joe’ type of person, much akin to Reggie Shaw, who has a sense of urgency to himself and mentions messaging his friend to see if he is free. This part of the song, the entire first half, is over a peppy guitar riff and a drum beat resembling the ‘amen break’ style. This then is paired with a melancholic synth or organ style harmony, which acts as a reminder of the quick paced-ness and the overall ‘too busy to handle anything’ feeling. This is all interrupted suddenly (with the different parts fading out until just the drums remain) by the sound of a car crash, preceded by the lyrics conveying the main character’s friend who he was messaging, simply responding “Hey.” This already leads to the assumption that is confirmed as a loud and consistent bass boom is played, simulating the intensity of the scene, and the mental numbness and distantness in relation to what the main character sees, telling us that an accident has occurred. As the lyrics fade back in (in a less musical sense and more genuine conversation, or rather, mental dialogue) blatantly saying that this is his friend. He is now responsible for distracting the driver and causing the death of his friend. There is a heartbroken synth line that plays during this that is backed briefly by a repurposed jazz vocal selection, as the overall tone is that of disbelief, hurt, guilt, and overall sadness. The vocals then fade out as the final lines are given over just the synth, saying how our main character is now forced to say what he was messaging his friend forever, because of his actions: “goodbye.” I feel that this song, with my mostly improvisational lyrics, could apply to anyone. It shows my responsibility in the issue of distracted driving as someone aware of his mistake. Someone is trying to show a completely new perspective to others on how they, too, can prevent these kinds of accidents by being a preventative bystander. It helped me explore the issue through putting myself in the situation in someone else’s shoes.

Track Link: https://www.audiotool.com/track/b158b8uo

Before the day of registration for freshman year, I did not think too much of texting while driving. In the instance of drivers education, yes, and maybe even when seeing an accident on the news, too. Yes, it is bad, and yes, we should not do it, but yes… we still continue to do it every day. Reading this book and doing all of the projects along with it has opened my eyes to a lot of problems in this world with the minds of people and just how apt we are to distraction.

I would define distracted driving as anything that pulls a driver’s focus away from the road or their surroundings while they are still doing the action of driving. After reading A Deadly Wandering, I feel as if my definition has stayed the same. I know most wrecks are not caused by someone eating a taco while driving, but I still think that people tend to only see distracted driving as something that can be done in the presence of technology and not by other factors, too. I think that even just having other people in the car or being too involved with the radio could be just as much of a problem, and the guest speaker from National Save a Life Tour touched on that as well.

I do not have any specific situations of a distracted driver affecting me or someone I know, but my mother has an old friend whose daughter was hit and killed by a person who was driving under the influence on a busy, not well-lit road in rural Kansas. Although they were not texting, as Shaw was, the two forms of driving are very similar in that they chose to do something that could only affect themselves and others in a negative way. My mother barely knew the person; however, just hearing that it could happen to someone on a street in our city to a person that we might know, is a scary thought within itself. I can only imagine how hard it is to go on after a death of a loved one knowing the death was completely dependent on the choices of another person. It seems so hard to put the value of someone’s entire life in someone else’s split second decision.

I tend to see epidemics as a spread of something that cannot necessarily be predicted or controlled as a result. I find it hard to define texting while driving as an epidemic, because it is such an easy problem to be fixed. People can simply choose not to do it for the small distance of their drive. However, an epidemic is something that spreads quickly and affects a large population, and texting while driving does do so, so it could be seen as a national epidemic.

Reading A Deadly Wandering was not a hard read for me. It was very interesting to hear about the tragedy from so many different perspectives, both scientific and just from real everyday people who had an experience. It was somewhat hard to not be biased while reading, but after keeping in mind the technology of the time, hearing about the true research that proved itself accurate, and seeing Shaw in person for his presentation, I found the book’s perspective to be all that much better.

At first, I thought of Shaw as the villain in the book, as someone who was bad. After seeing him, I thought of him as being a good person who had done a bad thing. It was hard for me to watch him present. What resonated with me the most was his emotion with the subject, even after so many years later. His split second decision remains in the back of his mind every single day and will for the rest of his life. Even just seeing the look in his eyes as he continued, made me think about the importance of every decision we make and just how significant timing can be. Seeing this “epidemic” as a personified experience really changed my perspective.

I think one of the scariest things for me about distracted driving is just how realistic it can be. Society tends to see cold-hearted killers as people with guns who had a plan to cause chaos, but the technology we have can be just as much of a weapon with just as bad of an ending for all people involved. People will say with confidence that they can never see themselves stabbing someone, that they would “never dare” think to shoot a person, but people, including myself at times, never tend to think that seriously about texting, even after hearing the statistics and seeing the widows. We see all this push for reform with hard topics like gun control or immigration, but there is no such thing as a background check for being able to text. We choose to separate ourselves from certain things at all times like stealing, cheating, or lying. But we also choose to interact with our technology at all hours of the day, willingly distracting ourselves from work or chores or anything else at hand. So why would these habits suddenly stop while driving? I think that is why it is so hard for people to stop texting once they start, because it is so common and almost even purposeful. People act as if they cannot change, as if it was even accidental or a one- time thing, but not being able to separate the two is a problem within itself.

I think that first year seminar, the panel of professionals, and Avila in general have made a great reputation for themselves by focusing on this book and this growing issue. I enjoyed that we had so many outside guests to add to the subject, all with very different perspectives. I will walk away from this class, and from Avila, thinking differently about the social issue of texting while driving, as well as the science and history behind it. I think I have the same opinions about texting while driving as I did before, except now I have even more of an emotional connection to it, as well as statistics to share with people in the future to help them, too.

To end, I would like to thank both of my instructors for your guidance throughout the duration of this class. I think it is important that freshmen students have first year seminar, it has left a lasting impact on me.

Works Cited:

Richtel, Matt. (2015). A deadly wandering: A mystery, a landmark investigation, and the astonishing science of attention in the digital age. NY:

Harper Collins.

e Catharine Gilmore

Upon learning of our culminating project on the book, A Deadly Wandering, my mind fluttered about with ideas. When I learned that I had the opportunity to create an artwork, I instantly knew what I wanted to create. I envisioned a colorful bird, wings spread, soaring in endless sky.

My idea originated from the ‘Butterfly Effect’. The Butterfly Effect is the outcome of our choices and how one path leads to another. Rather than painting a butterfly, I chose a bird. At first glance, the idea may not seem like it has much to do with the book, but I wanted to portray the different paths Mr. Shaw took as a result of his decisions, and the consequences of crashing into another car and killing the two scientists. Shaw had the choice of not texting and driving, he even had the choice of having one of his parents driving him to work, but he took the paths that lead him to that fateful day. This is the basis of my artwork. I painted the body of the bird grey with hints of color, signifying that we make the choices that change our lives. The wings of the bird, however, are brightly colored. Each feather holds a story and a path to be taken. Much like the veins in a butterfly’s wing, the feathers carry the same meaning. One feather leads to another, like how one path leads to another in the Butterfly Effect. The brighter colored feathers lead to happier paths; the darker feathers lead to sadness, even the falling feathers have significance. They are the paths that could have been taken, but never were. They are the paths that will never be able to be taken again.

Every color and brush stoke within my painting holds meaning. Many paths have been taken or abandoned by Shaw. The paths that were chosen are what ultimately killed two innocent men.

Have you ever felt distracted while driving? Well if you have, you are not alone. It is a very common mistake people make while they are behind the wheel of a vehicle. The reason why it is so common is because there are tons of distractions humans deal with daily. A few major distractions a driver might come across are giving attention to a child in need, texting or communicating on their phone, eating, and even roadside attractions. There are many reasons why a person might drive distracted, but the main reason we give in to these distractions is because we feel that they deserve immediate attention. Most, if not all, distractions are preventable. Being able to master the art of self-control is a practice not too many individuals can accomplish. Since there are many distractions people face while driving, it is essential that people practice self-control. All distractions are preventable, and if you do not give in to your desires, you can potentially save a life. Mistakes are inevitable, but if you are able to prevent something horrible from happening, then it is a no-brainer. Some things you can do to prevent distractions are once you order food from a drive through eat it in the parking lot, put your phone in the glove box or out of sight, pullover to the side of the road if there is an apparent emergency in the vehicle, and lastly, make sure to have enough sleep so you can pay full attention to the road. While there are many other ways to prevent yourself from distractions, I feel these are the most important ones. Having listed many ways you can prevent distracted driving, it is necessary to note that there has been extensive research on distracted driving. Brain research reveals the science behind the mystery of distracted driving. According to TeenSafe.com (2019), nearly ¨25% of motor vehicle crash fatalities are due to drivers being distracted.” The majority of distractions reported are due to phones. This is important because phones are very addictive. The reason why they are so addictive is because phones give us instant gratification. Scientists believe that every time we receive a text message and the notification sound rings, a dose of dopamine is released into our system making us feel good. In many forms of addiction, dopamine plays a large role because it is one of the main ways the body feels pleasure.

Dopamine is related to distracted driving in an extensive variety. The human brain hates being bored, so every chance it gets to be active, the brain seizes it. Research has shown our short attention spans can never consistently be focused (Leprince-Ringuet, 2018). For example, the researchers found “that in between those bursts of attention, we are actually distracted. During those periods of distraction, the brain pauses and scans the environment to see if there is something outside the primary focus of attention that might be more important. If there is not, it re-focuses back to what you were doing.” (Leprince-Ringue, 2018). This means that our brains are constantly losing focus because we are always aware of our surroundings.

All in all, distracted driving is a very common mistake drivers fall victim to daily. Although there are many reasons to give in to our distractions, the main reason is because humans crave instant gratification. Instant gratification releases dopamine which is an essential component for pleasure throughout the human body. Furthermore, being able to master the art of self- control can help save lives. Practicing different ways to prevent accidents is very important. Anything and everything you can do to help save a life is important and should be taken seriously.

Works Cited:

Leprince-Ringuet, Daphne. “Here’s Scientific Proof Your Brain Was

Designed to Be Distracted.” WIRED, WIRED UK, 22 Aug. 2018, www.wired.co.uk/article/brain-distraction-procrastination-science. “100 Distracted Driving Facts & Statistics for 2018.” TeenSafe, teensafe. com/100-distracted-driving-facts-statistics-for-2018/.

I did everything I was supposed to Mom…

I drive every day. You constantly remind me to stay off my phone. I don’t know why you get so worried about me. I do everything I’m supposed to. I don’t get on my phone when I drive. I feel proud of myself, the way you said I would, that I don’t text and drive even though my friends do.

I make good choices, and your advice to me was right. School was over and the kids drove out of sight. I got in my car, confident that I’d get home in one piece, I was doing everything I was supposed to mom. I never knew what was coming. Now I’m lying on the pavement, and I hear the policeman say that the person who caused the accident had been texting. I felt my life slipping away from me as blood surrounded my body. The guy decided to text and drive and now I’m going to die. I did everything right, mom. So why is this happening? Someone should have taught him that it was wrong to text and drive. Maybe if someone had, I’d still be alive. For my Culminating Project I decided to write a poem. I debated on what approach I should take when writing the poem. Many people I know text and drive. Nothing has happened, so why would they want to stop? I have had a couple of accidents that were caused by distracted driving. Each time they scared me, but I somehow still fell back into doing the same habits. During my most recent accident, I had my sister in the car with me. That time scared me the most. I did not quite realize that the consequences of my actions could have ruined another person’s life. I stopped allowing myself to drive distracted. I have made the road a safer place, but the risk of another accident happening is very likely, because it takes one person on the road to cause an accident, even if others on the road are doing everything they are supposed to. The poem I wrote shows that it takes more than one person to make the road safe. Every single driver needs to make a commitment to him/herself to not drive distracted. After my first-year seminar class, I remember all the talks we have about distracted driving every time I get in my car. Shaw’s story reminds me that it only takes one time. He drove distracted all the time without anything happening. During his speech, he said that texting and driving is not about if something bad will happen, it will happen if you do not stop the habit.

e Bailey Calvin

With my project, I wanted to demonstrate the brain’s reaction to a decision that is black and white. The division between the two sides symbolizes cracked glass. Texting and driving is a split decision to either risk the life around you, or be able to see another day. With many of these decisions, the consequence is not clear. In a fatal car accident, the brain takes about six minutes to die. This is represented by the watercolors on the right side of the brain quickly draining into static. Every moment and every memory is gone because of one wrong decision, and that is all it takes.

e Esperanza Ortiz

My culminating project I has four parts to it. The first part is about my personal experience with distracted driving and how it impacted me. I explained that it was the driver’s fault, because she was high and completely in a daze. I could not read any of the signs that would indicate that she was high at all. If I had known she was high, I would not have gotten in the car with her. I know better than to risk my life like that. The car accident was an eye opener to me. It taught me to be aware and focus on the road and that being distracted is a very serious risk when you are driving. The second part is about how the brain functions and when we start to become distracted. There are multiple brain functions that are being activated at once when driving. These functions are located in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, and the cerebellum. These functions come with key roles that are being used when driving. The third part of the project is a question and response portion that is based on my thoughts and opinions. For my reflection, this class along with all the research that has been conducted, I have become more knowledgeable about the issue and how I can change it. I understand how important it is to not use my phone while driving or indulging in any other distractions. My role is to inform my peers on the dangers of distracted driving and how multitasking causes more disruption. This is an issue that can overtime be changed, if we put the effort into doing so.

The main reason drivers get distracted while driving is that humans cannot multitask. Humans are not able to concentrate on two things at once. While driving, anything could go on behind the wheel that sometimes we cannot control such as the weather and road conditions. Reggie Shaw’s accident was a prime example, because when he got in the accident, it was snowing. The roads that he was driving on were curving, and in Missouri, we have a lot of curvy roads. Your music can be another distraction. Mostly everyone listens to music in the car. If they want to change their song, they must look down at their phones. Phones can be connected to the aux or Bluetooth. While phones are connected to the cars, they still give a notification, which makes drivers look at their phone. Even though our phones can be distracting, other people in your car can be distracting. While having conversations with people in the vehicle, the driver could be looking at the person. Therefore, they are distracted and could get in an accident. Drivers being distracted is an issue to many of the people that care about their safety.

My family has been affected by texting and driving when my mother got in an accident heading to work. She was headed to work on a rainy day, and traffic was heavy. She was at a complete stop, when a driver came behind her and hit the back of her car. Her car flipped over, and the vehicle was severely damaged. Thankfully, my mother had only minor injuries. This example shows that texting and driving are dangerous. My mother could have been severely injured, but she was not.

While attending Shaw’s lecture, the one thing that has resonated with me was that you could be going down the same road every day, and you do not know if an accident could happen. For me, I commute every day, and I drive the same routes every day, not worrying about if I could get in a crash. Listening to Shaw’s story has made me pay more attention and stay off my phone. Shaw was asked the question of what does he do with his phone while he drives. His answer was that he turns off his phone and puts it far away from him. A big take away from his lecture was the question: what is the most important message that you need to answer right away? I started to think of what my answer would be, and I could not think of anything. That is because there is not any more important message than your life.

The reason that distracted driving could be considered a national epidemic is amount and frequency of accidents that happen during a day. Distracted driving has gone under the radar because many other crises are going on in our world. The real problem is how many people are dying from these accidents. There have been thousands of people that die each year by texting and driving. The law over texting and driving has got to change. In Missouri, you cannot text and drive till you are age 21 or over. Texting and driving should be illegal, no matter what age you are.

The speaker from National Save A Life added to my understanding of the consequences of distracted driving so much that now I always say “I love you” to my mother if she or I are leaving the house. While watching their video, it made me think that these are only just a few of the stories from distracted driving. The story that touched me the most was about the brother and sister crossing the road while a car did not stop at a stop sign. Her brother was hit by the car while she held his hand. Now, her brother cannot play outside like he always had. They have to watch over him 24/7 and change his oxygen tank. I would never want that to happen to any of my siblings. After listening to the speaker, I went to the distracted driving simulator. Listening to speakers and doing the simulator has changed the way I drive.

The way I could counter the issue of texting and driving is by telling friends and family to put their phones away while they are driving. This is especially important when my nephew is in the car, because if he sees someone texting and driving, later on, he will think it is okay. My father is a prime example of someone that texts and drives. He will always be getting a message while he drives. I could counter that by telling him about how unsafe it is to be on your phone while driving. Another way I can combat the texting and driving is to lead by example and do not have my phone out while I drive. There are many ways everyone can help counter texting and driving, and it can just start by telling a friend or family member to not text while driving.

The experience from FS 101 has impacted my life, and other first-year students, by making us aware of the importance of driving safely. The teachers, mentors, as well as reading the book A Deadly Wandering, and all of the speakers have given me one of the best life lessons. The class also benefits me and others that have to commute to school every day.

e Faith Lockard

For my project, I chose to do a drawing. I drew a red light and a car driving over the line, because the driver was talking on the phone while driving and did not see the red light. I also drew a picture of the brain. Over one-half of the brain is focused on the phone, and the other little part of the brain is focused on driving. Distracted driving takes most, if not all, of our attention away from the road. While listening to Shaw’s lecture, it made me realize how dangerous distracted driving really is, and the impact it can have on people’s lives. Distracted driving has affected my family. I remember riding to school with my cousin who was eating and looked down to get his food and wrecked the car. No one was injured, but this was caused by a form of distracted driving. I think that everyone has done something distracting while driving, whether that is texting, talking on the phone, eating, or even just getting distracted from talking to a passenger in the car. After hearing about Shaw’s experience and so many others, I will think before I do something while driving. I could not imagine being the reason that a family loses a loved one, because of my poor choices while driving. I do not think that I would ever forgive myself. Distracted driving is something that we all need to take more seriously. We all think “that it won’t happen to me,” until it does. Our brains cannot physically or mentally focus on two things at once. Do not drive while distracted; it is not worth the risk of your life or other people’s lives.