Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sharing his personal experience with distracted driving, raising concern for young drivers about the risks on the road. Using his own teenage story, Earnhardt Jr. hopes to encourage teens and their families to recognize how distracting devices can have lifelong consequences, making “Dale Earnhardt Jr distracted driving” a pressing issue for today’s youth.
A Christmas Morning Mistake and Its Lasting Impact
As a young man in Charlotte, N.C., Dale Earnhardt Jr. found out how quickly distraction could turn dangerous. Taking his beloved Chevy S-10 pickup out for a Christmas test drive, he used a newly gifted adapter to play CDs through the truck’s cassette player—a moment of excitement that led him to glance down at his music. The brief lapse resulted in his truck flipping off the road.
“I was fooling with that thing, and I drove off the road and flipped my truck,”
Earnhardt remembered.
“Dad (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) came and got me. It was just a mess. I got very lucky that I wasn’t hurt. But I think about myself, and how careless I was as a young driver. And that was 30 years ago, before we got cellphones.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This experience stuck with Earnhardt, shaping his present-day advocacy around distracted driving and his collaboration with organizations focused on preventing teen accidents.
Partnering with Nationwide and BRAKES to Change Teen Driver Behavior
Motivated by his own close call, Earnhardt Jr. has become an advocate for safer roads by working with Nationwide Insurance and a nonprofit called BRAKES (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe). Both organizations promote advanced education and practical tools to help teenagers stay safe behind the wheel—and aim to prevent tragedies before they occur.
Nationwide now offers a free service to all drivers, not just their insured, through its app. The Focused Driving Rewards program enables anyone to sign up and earn points for driving without distraction, which are then redeemable for gift cards. The foundational recommendation, echoing Earnhardt’s own message, is simple: keep your phone out of sight while driving.
The Challenge of Breaking Phone Habits While Driving
Resisting the urge to check messages or notifications is difficult for most drivers, regardless of age.
“Most of us can’t go much time at all without looking at them,”
Earnhardt said. When asked if he manages to avoid using his phone on the road today, the racing icon shared his approach.
“For the most part, I’m pretty good,”
Earnhardt stated.
“I talk to Siri. I plug my phone in, leave it down in the console and say, ‘Hey Siri, call so and so.’ So I’m hands free. But it is tempting. That’s human nature. That’s why we need programs like this to help us understand.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.
His honest confession highlights the widespread challenge, even for those with years of experience, reinforcing the importance of supportive programs for everyone—not just novice drivers.
BRAKES: Advanced Driver Training Born from Tragedy
The nonprofit BRAKES was created by drag racer Doug Herbert after a devastating crash claimed the lives of his sons, Jon and James Herbert, in 2008 near the Lake Norman area. Jon, then 17, lost control of his Mazda while speeding, resulting in a crash that also injured passengers in another vehicle. The incident left the Herbert family forever changed and galvanized Doug Herbert to prevent similar heartbreak in other families.
Since its founding, BRAKES has provided advanced driving courses to more than 160,000 teen drivers and parents, using hands-on training that goes beyond standard driver’s education. The classes, held across the country and utilizing donated Kia cars, cover high-pressure maneuvers like sudden braking or correcting a vehicle in a skid—scenarios most drivers never practice until facing them on the road.
“Now we’ve taught over 160,000 people,”
Herbert remarked.
“And we originally were just so happy to train Jon and James’ friends.”
– Doug Herbert
Courses require prior licensing or a permit, with over 250 instructors—many from law enforcement—leading the sessions. In Charlotte, BRAKES events take place at the zMax Dragway in Concord, with each class quickly filling to capacity. A refundable deposit is required, and while classes are free, many grateful parents choose to donate their deposit after experiencing the program’s benefits firsthand.
The BRAKES Experience for Families
Parents who have participated in BRAKES often describe the program as transformative. The opportunity to practice emergency maneuvers in a controlled environment helps both young drivers and their families gain skills and confidence. As the curriculum is founded on real, harrowing outcomes, participants leave with a deep respect for what can go wrong when distractions take hold behind the wheel.
Though Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s own daughters are still years away from driving, he has already decided they’ll attend BRAKES for their safety.
“Oh, but they’re definitely going to BRAKES when they’re old enough,”
he said, admitting, “I’m a worrier by nature.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joins Nationwide and BRAKES to Mentor Teen Drivers
Recently, BRAKES expanded its role in Nationwide’s campaign by organizing a driver safety course at zMax Dragway, where Earnhardt instructed a local teen, Allie Miller, on navigating hazardous driving situations without distraction. Statistics shared at the event underline the risk: around 90% of new drivers will experience at least a minor crash within three years. Miller, a 17-year-old at Davie County High School in Mocksville, connected with the lessons after experiencing a fender-bender herself recently.
“I did rear-end somebody last year,”
Miller acknowledged. – Allie Miller
During the BRAKES course, with her phone stowed away and Earnhardt sitting beside her, Miller navigated the exercises confidently.
“It was a really cool experience,”
she reflected. – Allie Miller
Asked about the temptation to use her phone while driving, Miller was honest about the struggle.
“It is very hard nowadays, when everyone’s life is on their phone,”
she admitted.
“So it was very tempting, but I think it’s important to learn the consequences of it.”
– Allie Miller
Growing Support for A Proactive Approach to Road Safety
Nationwide’s campaign, which includes a substantial $10,000 donation to BRAKES, is receiving positive responses from parents and teens alike. The blend of app-based rewards and immersive, hands-on training reflects a larger attempt to address distracted driving using multiple approaches and partnerships—spanning organizations, local law enforcement, and advocates like Earnhardt Jr. and Doug Herbert.
The Urgent Message: Put the Phone Down
Earnhardt Jr. and organizations like BRAKES and Nationwide continue to urge both young and experienced drivers to resist the lure of their devices when driving. With too many tragic stories, including that of the Herbert family, serving as somber reminders, their call is simple yet urgent: no text, song, or app notification is worth risking your own or someone else’s life.
As these programs expand, families like the Earnhardts and Herberts are hoping that the next generation of drivers will stay present behind the wheel—and that costly lessons from the past will lead to safer roads for all.
