In 2010, the life of a Mâconnais family changed forever. A moment of family togetherness that began as a celebration turned out to be anything but the opposite, proving that a split-second action can have lasting consequences. The family had gathered in Longview, Texas, to celebrate Jerry Dingmore's mother's eightieth birthday. As everyone was getting ready to go home from the party, Dingmore's son, Colton, asked him to ride with his uncle Jay. Dingmore agreed and everyone started heading back to Jerry's mother's house – Jerry in one car and Colton, Jay and Betty, Jay's wife, in another. On the highway, Jay and Betty's car was hit by a distracted driver who responded to a text message while driving and swerved into their lane of travel. Betty and Colton survived with minimal injuries, but Jay was killed instantly. Today, the Dingmores are trying to raise awareness about a problem that affects many people and can be avoided simply by using common sense. Distracted driving is a significant problem that continues to grow. Whether it's eating, using electronic devices, doing your hair or makeup, or adjusting vehicle controls, it seems everyone is guilty of taking their attention off the road at some point. given. How many times have we been angry to see the driver next to or in front of us doing something stupid, like cutting people off or not paying attention to red lights because they were absorbed in a phone conversation? How many times have we seen someone flying down the road doing some crazy task like reading a newspaper or eating a sandwich? How many times have we done something like this? The Department of Transportation released a report analyzing three different surveys and studies carried out in 2011 and 2012. They found that at any point...... middle of paper .... ..I noticed an improvement in my driving, and I also learned that no one has as much control as they think. The Dingmore family's story motivated me to seriously examine my driving habits and educate others about the dangers of distracted driving. No one is indestructible, and prevention is better than cure, because a life is something none of us can ever get back. This was a valuable and important learning experience as it provided an opportunity for prevention and safety. I will continue to prevent and limit distractions, because focused driving can make the difference between saving or losing a life. Works Cited Aldana, Karen. “NHTSA survey finds 660,000 drivers use cell phones or handle electronic devices while driving at any time of the day.” www.dot.gov. US Department of Transportation, April 5, 2013. Web. December 1. 2013.