Memorial Day Driving: Don't Text (Do We Need To Remind You?)

By Suzanne Kane

Suzanne Kane

Contributing Writer BIO

Suzanne Kane is an editor at High Gear Media focusing on covering the latest product and other auto-related information for Family Car Guide... More

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2 1,350 views May 24, 2011

Texting while driving

Before you head out this holiday weekend for Memorial Day activities, check out the new video from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Faces of Distracted Driving” series.

The video features Jacy Good, a young woman who survived a crash caused by a cellphone-using driver three years ago. Her parents weren’t so lucky. They died instantly in the crash.

Ironically, Jacy’s parents were early advocates of no-cellphone use while driving, which also included no texting and driving. But on May 18, 2008, the day of Jacy’s graduation from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a car driven by a young man on a cellphone ran a red light, causing a tractor-trailer driver to swerve into the car carrying Jacy and her parents.

Jacy was hospitalized with critical injuries and wasn’t expected to make it through the night. As she relates in the video, she spent many long months in rehabilitation learning how to walk again, how to talk, to feed herself -- all simple things that she had to re-learn. And she’ll have to wear a brace on her left ankle for the rest of her life.

This senseless tragedy is all because of a distracted driver more intent on his cellphone conversation than paying attention to his driving.

Now, Jacy devotes her time to help bring awareness of distracted driving to others. Since 2010, she’s been on the board of directors of Focus Driven, and continues to spread her message across the country.

Bottom line: Whatever you’ve got to say isn’t worth a single human life. This holiday weekend, hang up the cellphone, turn it off and park it in the console or purse. No texting or talking on phones while driving should be your everyday driving behavior. Do your family and friends a favor and pass this video along – before anyone ventures out this Memorial Day.

[U.S. Department of Transportation]