(silence)
♪ (serious music) ♪
- (mother) It was summertime and I was home in my living room
with the front door open.
A police car pulled up into my driveway.
And another car and I see my father with a priest.
- Aww, that's not a good sign.
- (mother) And he said, you know, I have some terrible news to tell you.
- Oh, no.
- (mother) He grabbed onto me and told me Forrest was hit by a car.
- Oh, god.
- (aunt) Forrest is dead and I replay those words even now.
- Every parent's worst nightmare.
- (aunt) Why?
Because someone was driving and not paying attention.
- You never think it's gonna happen to you.
- (aunt) And because of that, an accident happened.
- Oh, shoot.
- (aunt) ...was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- Wow.
- (mother) And then this man, he was actually texting
the woman sitting right next to him in the truck.
- (groaning)
- (mother) He was actually texting the woman sitting
right next to him in the truck. - (scoffing) What?
- Wow. - That's so stupid!
- (mother) And he hit the car in front of him
and he slammed on the brakes.
The trailer went around and hit my son, projecting him into a lava rock...
- Oh, my god. I couldn't imagine that.
- (mother) ...killing him instantly. - That's so sad.
- (mother) ...projecting him into-- - Oh, wow.
- (mother) ...killing him instantly.
- (aunt) Why was he riding his bike at that time?
- Oh, he's not even driving.
- He was on a bicycle.
- (aunt) Why was the man texting? - That's horrible.
- He wasn't even driving. He was on a bike.
- (aunt) Why my nephew? Why my family?
And so we all walked around probably empty for years.
Some dealt with their grief a little better than others.
We're not the same.
- This is one of your mother and I's biggest fears.
- (aunt) Because now there's an empty room.
There's an empty place at the table.
- I can't even imagine.
- Losing a kid like that, it's ripping a piece out
of your whole soul.
- (aunt) Every day, a reminder of what's not there.
- That's still got to be the worst part.
- I can't even imagine that.
- (brother) We were just picking up pine needles
and he picked me up to shove down pine needles
and he just made me do the rest of the work,
clean up the dog poop and all that and my last words to him
was I wish you were dead.
...my last words to him was I wish you were dead.
- (wincing)
- ...my last words to him was I wish you were dead.
- Oh, no. I got goosebumps.
- (brother) I should have I never taken the bike home.
I should have left it at my mom's.
- He's going to feel horrible for the rest of his life.
- Yeah, be careful what you say.
- (brother) So it's kind of my fault. - No, it's not his fault though.
- (brother) So it's kind of my fault. (sniffling)
- Oh, no. - (man) It is not your fault.
- No.
- (brother) Yeah, but he was such a better person than me.
- You always go back and think what if I had done this?
This wouldn't have happened if I had done this, this, or this.
- It's worse every day. Every single day.
- (aunt) I have become so aware of drivers using their phones.
I don't get what is so important that it has to happen at that moment.
- Nothing.
- (man) If you could send a message to your brother,
what would it be?
- (brother) Just show me some guidance.
I don't really know where to from here.
I miss him but I don't miss him, and that's what's killing me.
- I'm going to cry.
- (brother) And his death anniversary, his birthdays,
and don't know if that's part of moving on,
but--
- I don't know what I would do in that situation.
You'd just go crazy.
- Oh, that's so-- yes, it is. And it's normal.
Not remembering stuff.
- (brother) I'd tell him that I love him and--
- Exactly.
- (brother) I'd tell him that I love him
and I'm sorry for the way I treated him
(sniffling) and that's how brothers are.
- Brothers can be rough.
He shouldn't be so hard on himself.
Incredibly sad.
- You could really feel it in the people's voices.
- I love you. (sniffing) - Don't be sad.
- (sniffing) Thanks. - I need one of those too.
- Don't cry. Don't worry.
- Thank you. - It's okay.
(whispering) I love you. - (whispering back) I love you too.
- I was also hearing people being like, oh,
but I do it all the time and I've never killed anyone,
so it's fine that I do it or I only do it at stoplights.
I only do it when I am driving on a straight road
and nothing can happen. It's so normalized.
- When the brother started talking about his last words,
I was thinking about my sister and if that happened
because we're so mean to each other all the time,
and if those were my last words and then that happened--
we don't think that that can happen any second, you know?
- Right, it's not you texting. It's other people.
- (FBE) So for this video, we are partnering with
the AT&T It Can Wait campaign to not be distracted
while driving and to discuss with you and your parents
as this is a more recent issue that includes more
than just texting while driving.
There are many things that can pull your focus from behind the wheel--
social media, watching videos and e-mails to name a few.
And since this is affecting families, we want to know both
the parent and the teen driver perspective as well.
Is this something you and your parent have discussed with each other
before today? - Actually, no.
Today is the first day that we've discussed it.
- It hasn't been like a full-on conversation,
but even in the car, when my mom gets a notification
on her phone, I'm just like, just let me check it, mom.
- After seeing that, I probably will never
even think about checking a notification.
- She's a new driver, you know, and there's a lot of experience
that she hasn't gotten behind the wheel yet
and it's a big, giant machine and--
- (laughing) So scary. - You have to be careful
when you're driving, so I'll always have concerns.
- (FBE) So in a 2018 research study, it was found that 81%
of drivers read or send text messages while driving.
That's four out of every five drivers. - Wow.
- I'm not even surprised.
I feel like that's so common.
- (FBE) 64% look at and take photos and 60% read e-mails.
- While they're driving?
- Reading e-mails?!
Okay, wait. No, no, no.
- (FBE) With this episode being an important discussion,
can you be honest with us, both of you,
have you ever sent a text or e-mail or checked social media while driving?
- (both) Yes.
- Obviously, I try to limit it but when it does happen,
I'll try to be at a stoplight or something,
but it's still something I shouldn't be doing.
- I will say that I have done it in the past.
We're all guilty of it.
- I don't do it often, obviously, but I have done it.
- I actually turn my phone in my cupholder
while I'm in my car so that I can't see the screen
because then I'll look down and see who's texting me
if I can see the screen.
- It was 10:00 at night and I was driving home.
I had my phone on my lap and I would peek down sometimes.
I got pulled over and had to go to court.
- You think it's important-- - You think it's important. It's not.
I don't think you take selfies--
- I don't talk, no.
- And then I would look up and slam on my brakes because--
and then I'd put my phone down.
Okay, no, I'm not doing that anymore.
- (FBE) While statistics say that 98% of people
are aware of the dangers of distracting driving,
but 87% of people still do it anyway.
What do you think it is about distracted driving
that is so hard to avoid that even when you know about
the dangers, you still end up doing?
- Nobody wants to be left behind.
They don't want to be out of the loop.
They want to be in the last text.
They want to be-- their bosses, the pressure.
It's pressure.
- You hear a text message and all your brain
is thinking is, oh, you gotta look at that.
You gotta look at that. What if it's important?
- You kind of feel like you're invincible.
A lot of people are over-confident in what they're able to do
and they think that if they just look down for a second
it's not gonna make a difference.
- Knowing that you're getting hit up on social media,
that's like, oh, snap! I'm getting hit up.
Like, somebody wants a response to that.
- Although it's not good, it's something that for the moment
feels good to them.
- (FBE) So we have both of you together,
so we want you to talk to your team.
So what worries do you have about this and what would you want
them to know about distracted driving, even if you've talked
to them about it before? - Just pay attention and stay focused
and remember this: it can wait.
- Be safe.
That phone really needs to go in the glove box
when you're driving especially.
- Every time you want to pick up your phone
while driving or look at it, just think about that video
we just watched.
- Always be aware of your surrounding because it's not necessarily you.
It might be someone else who's texting.
So you have to be aware of what's going on around you
all the time.
- I know how addicted you are to electronics
and that's always worried me.
Please, it's not worth it.
It's not worth your life.
Look at this poor kid.
He lost his life on a bike!
He was just going home.
I mean, the thought of it still makes me cry
as if it's my own.
- (FBE) So the AT&T It Can Wait campaign
is the leader in the anti-distracted driving movement,
with over 30 million pledges to never drive distracted to date.
- Yeah, that's very cool.
- (FBE) So the first step in changing behavior
is to take the pledge to never drive distracted.
We wanted to see if you would both take the pledge.
- Sure. - Yeah, definitely.
- Yeah. - Absolutely.
- Absolutely.
- Yeah, I'm down. - Sure.
- I would love to take the pledge.
- Of course. - Yeah.
- I'll take the pledge.
- Absolutely. - Mm-hmm, yeah.
- "I pledge to always drive distraction free, no exceptions."
- "I pledge to never allow my phone to endanger myself or others
behind the wheel."
- "I pledge to be an advocate for the cause."
- "To lead by example and spread the message."
- "I pledge because I believe driving distraction free
can save lives..."
- "...and make the world a safer place."
- (FBE) So viewers at home can take the pledge
at itcanwait.com. The link is in the description,
but you can both confirm your pledge now
and add it to the large number of pledges to help out this movement.
- Sure. - Yes.
- Doing this, though, is gonna make you--
next time, if you feel like looking at your phone,
you may remember this.
- Yeah, I'll be like, oh, the pledge.
- Okay, we're pledged. - Done.
- Pledge now. All pledged up.
- All good. - But it's about follow-through.
- It's so easy.
Just do it. - That was very easy.
I highly recommend everyone do it.
- (FBE) So finally, to end the episode,
what advice do you have for someone who is driving and thinks
that maybe a text can't wait until they get home
or they need to read an e-mail or surf the net
or even watch a YouTube video?
- Pull over. Get off the road.
- Just really think about it for a second.
You'll realize that it's just not worth it.
- Put your phone on "do not disturb" because I've been doing that
and it helps so much.
- The person will wait for their response.
- Even if you think it's very important
and you don't have time, you do have time.
You have your whole life in front of you.
You have other people's lives in your hands when you're driving.
- It can wait. It can wait. (laughing)
Like what AT&T says.
- Hey, guys, Ethan here, a producer at FBE.
Thank you so much for watching this special episode of React
and please check out the link in the description below
or go to itcanwait.com and take the It Can Wait pledge
to try to end the epidemic of distracted driving once and for all.
Bye, guys.