Phones and Drugs Don’t Mix with Driving

Drivers Education courses are one of our most important early tools to help new drivers understand not only the rules of the road, but the consequences of not obeying those rules.

One of the key steps to helping young drivers reduce the number of driving related deaths, is to clearly emphasize how distracted or impaired driving impacts everyone. Many programs show very graphic examples of outcomes of these dangerous actions to almost scare students into reality which I think is a good thing, it worked with me.

An idea to bring home the point and to help students really see the “realness” of the problem might be to have students who are willing to visit classes and share their experiences where they were either a distracted driver or were a passenger in the car with someone who was not being safe while driving. Sometimes it takes a peer sharing their truth to really make a point with young people.

So many young people are now more aware than their parents on the dangers of distracted driving. I have witnessed many adults in my life, including my parents, either texting or picking up a call while they are driving. Usually I will make a small comment such as “Eyes on the road” or “You can get that later.” This most often will stop them for either starting to become distracted or to end it.

In order for me to be a safe driver and for my friends safety as well, I have let them all know that cell phone usage will not happen while I am driving. I also will not get into a car with anyone that I have seen using their cell phone while behind the wheel. My rule for this is not one that I waiver on. Many of my friends have been impressed with how I handle this and have even told me that they too are starting to say the same thing to others when they are a passenger or if they are giving someone a ride.

Another way to reduce the number of driving related deaths is to avoid the dangers of driving while under the influence. Today we have so many options that allow us simply to not get behind the wheel. With companies like Uber and Lyft so readily available to anyone with a cell phone, there really isn’t a reason to put yourself and others in jeopardy.

Just this past year a student at our high school was involved in an accident resulting in their death. The drivers of both vehicles were at fault. One driver was under the influence of alcohol and the other was driving too fast and was on their cell phone. Our entire school was affected by their passing, we all mourned, and we all thought about how that could have been anyone of us. My hope is that if nothing else, it made many of the students reflect on how they have put themselves and others in such a dangerous position unnecessarily, and that they will look to make changes in how they move forward.

In order to change our society’s outlook on impaired driving, we really need more education early and harsher punishments. It would be beneficial for students in drivers education courses to have more information on what a drug or alcohol problem in its early stages looks like to help them to see signs in the beginning. In my opinion, we should be less lenient when someone is found guilty of impaired driving. If the punishment for this crime was more severe it could be a huge deterrent to ever getting behind the wheel in a less than ideal state of mind.

Personally, I do not drink or use drugs but I know many people my age who do. They never think that its going to happen to them or that it will happen to anyone that they know. They think they are invincible. I cannot imagine how my life would change if I was a driver that caused the death of someone else. I don’t think I could live with that knowledge. I do not get in the car with anyone that I know drinks or uses drugs regularly, I have too much to live for.

I believe that the more open and up front we are about not being tolerant to distracted and impaired driving can make it become something that young drivers won’t abide by, which will directly result in less accidents and driving deaths.