Cottrell Law Office Distracted Driving Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Cottrell Law Office
Did you know that drivers 15-19 years old make up the largest proportion of distracted drivers in fatal car crashes? According to a Teen Distracted Driver study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a staggering 9% of all teen auto accident deaths in 2017 involved distracted driving.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is driving while engaged in anything that takes focus away from the road. Things like eating or drinking, changing music, and using a phone are the most significant causes of most distracted driving accidents.
Texting and driving is especially dangerous. If you were to look down for 5 seconds to send or read a text at 55 miles per hour, that’s like driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. The risk is immense with your life, and others’, on the line.
Scholarship Overview
Our experienced personal injury lawyers have seen the devastation that distracted drivers can cause. And we want to do anything that we can to stop it.
In an effort to reduce the number of teen distracted driving accidents, the Missouri and Arkansas car accident attorneys at the Cottrell Law Office are holding a $1,500 scholarship contest where one lucky student will win.
Essay Requirements Distracted Driving Experience and Prevention
We would like eligible students to write a 750-word essay about their life-changing experience with distracted driving and how they would stop others from doing the same.
- What happened?
- How did you change your ways for the better?
- What would you tell your peers that would convince them to never drive distracted?
Who Can Enter?
The scholarship contest is limited to Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas students only.
Applicants must be EITHER high school seniors accepted to a college or university (graduating summer 2025) OR students that are currently enrolled in a college or university (beginning fall semester 2025).
Our Judging Criteria
Submitted essays will be judged on their organization, style, clarity, and ideas.
Submission Deadline
Applications must be submitted no later than Monday, August 1, 2025.
When Will the Winner be Announced?
We will select and notify the winner no later than Monday, August 15, 2025.
How to Submit Your Application
You must fill out the online form and include the following:
- Contact information
- Transcript or proof of enrollment
- Essay