Safe Driving

Safe Driving

One day when we were in high school, the whole school woke up to the tragic loss of one of our classmates. She was driving back home after a long day with her friends when a drunk driver drove straight into her car causing it to flip multiple times before slamming into a road barrier. Her friends survived with injuries because they were wearing their seatbelt. Unfortunately, because she was not wearing her seatbelt, she fell out of the car as it was flipping and died. The entire community was in shock. The girl we had known our whole lives was suddenly gone because of a man who chose to drive under the influence.

Perception of invincibility. This is the disastrous delusion that many people suffer from. Although most adults are aware of the fatal consequences that drinking and driving can have, they never think it will happen to them. Knowledge of the consequences dwells in the back of their mind unable to compete with their impulsive behavior at the moment. They pack into their friend’s car on the way to a party thinking the few drinks they’ve had won’t affect their ability to drive. They don’t stop to think about who they could hurt or the possibility that they may never make it home.

The best way to raise awareness about this issue is to give it its importance. If we don’t make it a big deal, teenagers can’t be expected to take it seriously. I suggest creating an annual event at local high schools and colleges dedicated to educating students about the dangers of driving under the influence and the importance of wearing a seatbelt. This event will include law enforcement, educators, health professionals, and community members. Police officers can talk to the students about how much damage a DUI can do to their record and how it can impede their future including things like attending university or getting a dream job. They should tell them how not wearing your seatbelt increases the risk of death or serious injury in the case of an accident by 45%. Additionally, they can share with the students alternative ways to get a safe ride when under the influence. Some of these ways include calling an Uber, Lyft, or asking a trustworthy sober adult to give them a ride. Many companies including Uber willingly give out coupon cards with codes to schools and businesses that can be used for a free first ride. Uber utilizes these coupons to market to new customers, but teens can keep the cards in their wallets for a time that they might need a ride but can’t pay for it. Another aspect of the safe driving event can include hands-on experience. Students can print pictures of their family or loved ones on the back of a small sign that says, “Don’t drink and drive, it’s just not worth it” or “Buckle up for safety.” This reminder can be hung on their rearview mirror so that every time they get in their car, they are reminded to drive safely to make it home to their loved ones. Healthcare professionals can explain to the students what alcohol and drugs do to the brain and how what may seem like “just one drink” can affect their ability to do normal things, like driving. Most teens know that drinking before driving is wrong, but they don’t comprehend how alcohol blocks chemical signals between neurons, leading to immediate symptoms of impulsive behavior, weakening of senses, poor memory, and slowed reflexes. Taking the time to illustrate for them the serious impacts of drinking and doing drugs on their brains can motivate them to make safe driving a priority. 

In the end, people may not remember what you said or what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. Students must make an emotional connection to the dreadful impacts of driving under the influence. To make this happen, families and friends of the community that have lost a loved one to drinking under the influence can speak to the students about how the incident affected them. They should tell them how quick it can happen and how devasting it felt to lose the person they loved because of a careless mistake. When the students empathize with the pain of their community members, they will realize it can happen to anyone, including themselves.

One of the most impactful ways that we can stop students from participating in driving under the influence is with a live demonstration of a car accident caused by drinking. This takes more effort to put together than the above-mentioned ways, but worth it. For ethical reasons, the students are to be told that it is only a demonstration of what could happen and not a real accident. The demonstration will begin with a severely damaged car with a fake body or dummy inside. The volunteer paramedics will run to try to save the dummy inside the car and they will find that the body is severely injured because it was not wearing a seatbelt. Before the ambulance can leave the scene, the dummy will have died. The parents of the dummy in the vehicle will be devasted as they are told their teenager has passed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. When the students witness this tragic demonstration, they will fear that they or their parents could ever be in a similar position. At the end of this event, every student will take a pledge to never drive under the influence or ride with anyone under the influence. Teens are often belittled and not taken seriously by adults and as a result, they behave immaturely. When taken seriously, and given a commitment to honor, teens feel important. They understand that their actions have real consequences that could cost them their lives or the lives of people they love.

Lastly, an easy way to spread awareness to a large number of people is through social media campaign for safe driving. A personal video can be made including statistics about drunk driving as well as shared experiences from real people who have suffered because of drunk driving. People can educate themselves and share information with family and friends. Reaching out on a platform full of young people like social media can help teens hold their friends accountable for never driving under the influence and always buckling up. Sometimes the difference between someone driving under the influence and choosing to get a safe ride is understanding what’s at stake every time a drunk person gets behind the wheel. Raising awareness about the devastating impact of drunk driving or not wearing your seatbelt can save countless lives and create a community culture of prioritizing safe driving.