Change Starts With You

Change Starts With You

By: Cade Coffey

When I was a naïve driver, I too fell prey to the idea that nothing bad would happen to me and if I read that text or picked up that phone call, I would not be in any danger, but my perspective changed quickly when I met one of my friends who’s personal experience with the result of someone else’s poor decisions impacted their life forever. From that day on, I vowed to commit myself to practicing safe driving methods, correcting my peers when they were not following them, and being an example to show her that I truly understood the cost of responding to that text. My friend, Kelly, has allowed me to share her story because we both believe that the world will benefit from it.

Her mom always told her and her siblings that it was not them she was worried about when driving, but other people. After hearing this statement, I really let those words sink in that other people and their disregard for safe driving could cost someone else their life. My friend’s brother was 19, one year older than her when her life changed that Sunday because of another driver’s inability to take the precautions to be a safe driver. May 31, 2015 on a Sunday afternoon in broad daylight at 1:32pm Kelly’s brother was killed in an accident where he was simply just driving home, following all the rules.

Safe driving begins when you are in the passenger seat. As human beings we repeat the actions of our parents and close friends. I think a big part of education starts with addressing parental behavior and habits. This is often overlooked and can have a tremendous impact on future drivers. In addition, during driving training, I believe that every driver should watch educational videos on the consequences and read testimonies from real life events. They should also sign a form to commit to not texting and driving and pledge to take this privilege of driving seriously. We all know someone or have heard of someone that has been affected by unsafe driving or maybe we are even the culprits ourselves. It should not take until an accident happens and a loved one to die to realize the importance of safe practices. The steps I am personally taking are to always speak up when I notice poor driving habits and to also praise people who exhibit safe driving so they too can spread the knowledge. There is power in numbers and the more people who are aware the possibility of reducing the number of unwarranted deaths.

Always remember even if you are a good driver, if you fail to educate your friends, parents, and even strangers, you are just as at fault. Safe driving saves lives. You never think that it will happen to you or affect you until it does, and the consequences may just be an innocent man’s life who has so much potential but was taken too early by the hands of another.