Ben Pohl, a motivational speaker, shares his personal story about distracted driving at Kiwanis Club of Aurora Tuesday at Prisco Community Center in Aurora.
Pohl, just as are many, was a distracted driver at the age of 17, with four friends in his car. He wasn’t using a cellphone, but was distracted by the radio and laughing with friends and not paying attention. His inattention caused him to take his eyes off the road and lose control of his car. He injured himself and four friends. He spent two years relearning how to walk and speak.
Pohl has made it his mission to make sure that drivers are aware of the risk and consequences so that they don’t end up in the emergency room similar to his situation. He shares his message at schools and with young drivers. His website is benpohlspeaks.com.
Approximately nine persons are killed and more than 1,000 injured daily in the United States in incidents reported as a distracted driver, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.
Jason Crane/The Voice