Responsibility on the Road

Pledge Cranberry Students signed after attending the teen driving safety assembly on October 6th, 2022

As every year passes, more and more teens obtain their learner’s permit and driver's license, and are given the freedom to drive and travel. But what comes along with that, is an unspoken responsibility to be safe while behind the wheel. 

On October 6th, 2011 Cranberry graduate, Saxon Daugherty, a District One Safety Press Officer with PennDot, came to Cranberry High School to talk to the juniors and seniors about the dangers of distracted driving, and the impact that distracted driving has on all of our lives. 

“My job is to go out and educate on safe driving behaviors.” Daugherty explains, “I also feel strongly about safety.”

His personal experience with the consequences of distracted driving may explain why he feels so strongly about safety. 

“I had a cousin in high school who got into an accident with a school bus with her sister in the car. She survived with moderate injury,” Daugherty explains. 

Many people die every single year due to reckless and distracted driving, and most of the time it could have been preventable. 4000 teens die every single year due to distracted driving, and 50% of people who have died in car crashes could have survived if they had simply buckled up. Seatbelts are the best thing to save you from dying in a crash. 

What exactly is reckless driving? 

According to FindLaw, reckless driving can be defined as “driving with a willful or wanton disregard for safety, or showing willful disregard of consequences when operating a vehicle.”

When people were asked what the most lethal thing they could think of was, they said things along the lines of drugs, bad food, and weapons/people with weapons. In reality even the simplest things can become lethal, especially while driving. From lipgloss to lattes to texting, anything that takes your attention away from driving becomes lethal. The most lethal killer of young people though is bad decisions while driving.

“In my opinion, passengers are the biggest distraction,” Daugherty states.

The hardest part is trying to get teens to actually listen and take distracted driving seriously. 

“Just an experience mainly.” Says Daugherty. “Driving gives them a sense of freedom, and they don’t think about how serious it could be. There’s also so many distractions.”

So what will it take to get teens to take this seriously? 

“I think it’s programs that show real life accidents, and people who have stories that hit close to home. We try to bring students back to the reality of it,” Daugherty explains. 

The story of Donovan Tessmer, who was killed in a car accident due to reckless and distracted driving, was shown in video to students. While Donovan’s story is a tragedy, it is also a powerful lesson to anyone who thinks of driving recklessly. 

“It was very interesting and moving to be able to put faces to statistics and see the impacts on families of fatal crashes,” says Mackenzie Poshard, an 11th grade student at Cranberry High School.

It could be said that the most powerful things are the things that one can relate to, and things that can change one’s perspective. 

“I’ve talked to parents who have lost kids and see their grief. No one should have to live with that guilt knowing it was preventable,” Daugherty explains. 

It is inevitable that as more and more teens are given their license, there is going to be more risk, and as technology advances, there are going to be many more distractions that will divert teens' eyes from the road. 

Daugherty states, “Driving is a privilege, not a right.”