J&Y Law offers a warm round of applause to Abby Samuelson, the winner of the 2025 Defense Against Distracted Driving Scholarship. Samuelson’s scholarship essay stood out from her peers by describing her firsthand experience with the dangers of distracted driving. Her recommendations for curbing distracted driving give the team hope for the future.
Samuelson will use her $1,000 in winnings to continue her education at the University of Southern California. Our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers are proud to support her as she pursues her degree.
Samuelson’s Firsthand Experience With Distracted Driving
Samuelson’s scholarship essay goes into stark detail about her firsthand experience with the dangers of distracted driving. In 2024, she fell victim to a collision on her way to a babysitting job. Once she was safe, she learned that the couple in the other car were arguing at the time of her accident, and that distraction caused the crash.
“That realization hit me hard,” she says. “What could have been an innocent disagreement led to a catastrophic event.”
“The memory of that crash—the sound of the impact and the feeling of losing control—is still so vivid in my mind. It’s something I carry with me every day, and it’s made me think more deeply about my driving habits. I know now that driving isn’t just about being in control of the car—it’s about being responsible, paying attention, and understanding the weight of that responsibility.”
Recognizing Different Types of Roadway Distractions
Samuelson’s accident goes to show that there’s more than one type of distraction that can put drivers at risk on the road. While texting and driving is one of the best-known distractions, others can include:
- Eating or drinking behind the wheel
- Having conversations with passengers
- Listening to music and adjusting the radio
- Reaching into the glove box or for an object in the vehicle
In other words, verbal, physical, and cognitive distractions can all increase a person’s risk of getting into a car accident. Drivers need to make a point to engage with the task of driving if they want to minimize the dangers they might otherwise face while driving from Point A to Point B.
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Understanding the Complexities of Roadway Safety
Samuelson’s essay goes on to describe a mindset that she believes may make more young people particularly vulnerable to distracted driving accidents.
She highlights the fact that many young drivers feel “invincible,” both behind the wheel and in their everyday lives. Those feelings of invincibility can often drive young people to text and drive, put on makeup while driving, or otherwise take their attention off the road.
When it comes to approaching the question of driver safety and attention, Samuelson believes that anti-distracted driving campaigns need to take a compassionate and emotionally resonant approach. She argues that if drivers understand how terrifying car accidents can be and how silly distractions can seem in comparison, they’ll be more likely to take their safety seriously.
How to Encourage Safer Driving in the Future
When asked how she’d encourage her fellow drivers to avoid distractions on the road, Samuelson suggests a multi-prong approach. She emphasizes that public speaking engagements and workshops may help drivers connect with victims of distracted driving accidents and learn about their losses firsthand.
She also notes that social media platforms can play a powerful role in discouraging distracted driving. She recommends running targeted ads on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, while also taking advantage of hashtags like #EyesOnTheRoad and #DriveSafe.
She even recommends a “No Distraction Challenge,” gamifying safe driving and raising awareness about the risks that come with something as simple as looking away from the road at the wrong time.
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About the 2025 Defense Against Distracted Driving Scholarship
J&Y Law initially debuted its Defense Against Distracted Driving Scholarship in hopes of encouraging the next generation of drivers to think critically about the dangers they might face on the road. The team encouraged high school seniors and college students to draft compelling essays about the steps they’d take to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents.
The firm looks forward to continuing to offer its scholarship to up-and-coming students in the years to come. Students interested in applying for the Defense Against Distracted Driving Scholarship can visit the scholarship’s terms and conditions page to learn more about its qualifying criteria.
Applicants have the opportunity to win $1,000 in financial aid to dedicate toward their continued studies.
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Congratulations, Abby Samuelson!
The scholarship selection committee with J&Y Law once again congratulates Abby Samuelson on winning the 2025 Defense Against Distracted Driving Scholarship! Samuelson’s essay on the dangers of distracted driving breaks down the different distractions that put even the safest of drivers in harm’s way.
We wish Samuelson the best of luck pursuing her degree at the University of Southern California and hope that future scholarship applicants can follow her example when applying for the firm’s financial support.
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