Driving is Not a Game

Since before I was old enough to get my license, my family always set a good example when it came to driving. They always followed the rules of the road and taught me these things along the way. They wanted me to be prepared for my turn in the driver’s seat. They wanted me to be safe and aware of the consequences of reckless driving. My parents and older siblings were all vigilant drivers. Or at least that is what I thought.

When my brother was 20 years old, his driver’s license was suspended.You see, he was alone in his car. Without the presence of a parent, he could not remember the importance of safe driving. He was pulled over for racing at 110 mph. It was an incredibly stupid thing for him to do, and for the life of me, I still cannot understand why he would risk his life, and lives of others, over something so irresponsible.

Fortunately, very fortunately, I can say that my brother is still alive and well today. No one was injured; there was no car accident. But this incident does make me wonder how many other foolish things he has done on the road. This may have just been the only time he was caught. It also made me realize that my older brother, a person I looked to for wisdom and advice, was putting on a facade around his family. He was raised to be responsible. He grew up hearing about the dangers of driving and how his actions could have fatal results. And yet, he treated driving like a silly little game. To him, the steering wheel took the place of a video game controller. In his mind, nothing bad could happen.

Looking back, I think peer pressure played a large part in his decision to drive carelessly. I forgot to mention that the person my brother was racing was a close friend of his. They propeled each other on. In my opinion, my brother gave in to his friend, even though he fully understood the risks, because of his lack of confidence. His lack of self esteem. I will never know what was going through his head at the time, but I am convinced that he acted foolishly because he thought it would make him seem ‘cool’ to his friend. My brother wanted validation. He wanted to be seen as someone who was ‘courageous’. A daredevil. He may not have put it in so many words, but that is the basis of my belief. He wanted the validation of acknowledgment.

This goes to show that no matter how well we are taught to be safe drivers, poor choices will be made. Deep down, we all know right from wrong. We know what is and is not safe. My brother would never in a million years dream of hurting someone. But that is exactly what he risked when he continued to press his foot to the gas pedal and watch the speedometer increase to threatening levels.

My brother learned from his mistake. He corrected his behavior and is now one of the most attentive drivers I know. However, his error did invoke in me a deeper understanding of what drives people – no pun intended. I learned that no matter how smart you think you are, it means nothing unless you also do what you know is right. And as I have said before, that can be tricky. Peer pressure, among other things, tends to compel people to go against their values. Fear of embarrassment, or what their friends will think of them, often takes control of a person. They don’t think clearly and they lose sight of how crucial they’re choices are when it comes to safety. In the moment, none of that matters.

This leads me to believe that, along with good driving habits, we need to be taught confidence. We must stand firm in what we know is right. We need to learn self-control and reflect on the severity of our actions. And most importantly, we must put this into practice. We must ignore the temptation of indulgent behavior – this includes everything from reckless driving to smoking a cigarette – and make decisions that align with our morals.

Showing off to your friends, or anyone, may feel good, but it is only temporary. There is nothing worth the risk of someone else’s safety. There is no compensation for hurting someone or taking a life. Driving is not a game, but we do have control of our actions and the outcome.