A teen pageant winner is trying to raise awareness to the risks associated with distracted driving after she lost a friend to the deadly practice.
The high school freshman told reporters that her friend was 12 when she died in a head-on accident. The girl’s mother, as well as another adult woman and her daughter, also died as a result of the crash.
The driver responsible for the collision was texting while behind the wheel.
As she competed in the Royal International Miss Pageant, her friend was with her in spirit, the teen told reporters. And the story of her friend’s passing was still so fresh in her memory that she decided to share it as part of her campaign against distracted driving, calling it Text Free for Tita.
Talking to the audience, she said that when you do not text and drive, “the life you or I save could be your kid’s.” She then added that going through the pain of losing a loved one to distracted driving is not the type of suffering you want to go through.
By winning the pageant, the girl now have a new platform to expand her anti-distracted driving campaign so she can save even more lives.
To the young teen, this reality is a tough one, but she’s glad she has the opportunity to share her friend’s story.
Distracted Driving Is Dangerous, Are You Paying Attention?
Accidents happen for many reasons but distracted driving continues to be one of the most common factors behind traffic collisions. Unfortunately, many young and inexperienced drivers fail to realize they are vulnerable to the risks. And because young drivers often believe that nothing is going to happen to them, they might act a bit more carelessly than other drivers.
Still, distractions can impact anyone, even seasoned drivers.
We urge drivers across Washington to keep in mind that distracted driving is always serious, and the consequences can be deadly.
