Personal Relations and Conversations for Safe Drivers

For
me, drivers ed made me aware of the dangers of driving that I had
never fully considered before. For example, I didn’t quite
understand the threat of distracted driving until I learned that
about a thousand drivers die every year because due to distracted
driving. Even this number was rather obscure to me until I discovered
the stories of several persons who lost their lives to distracted
driving. Through learning their stories, I became more aware of how
my actions may affect myself and others. In and outside of drivers
ed, drivers can begin to more closely analyze their decision to text
and drive through achieving a personal connection to one of the
thousands who lost their lives to distracted driving. A friend can
make this connection by sharing a story of a distracted driving
incident, or at least advising someone to reconsider their decision
to text and drive. Whenever I am in the car with a friend or direct
relative who feels the need to use their phone, I ask if they need me
to type anything in for them, and this has always either resulted in
them allowing me to assist them or putting their phone away
altogether. As for myself, I continue to refrain from using my cell
phone while driving because I could not imagine losing my life so
early or prematurely taking the life of someone else who may also
have a family and people who care about them.

In
today’s technologically rich world, it is easier than ever to
access forms of transportation online, such as Uber and Lyft. After
speaking to many students my age, it seems that many young people who
decide to drive while under the influence are afraid of how their
parents will view them if they find out that their child has been
participating in underage drinking. This notion can be banished in
many young people by having one conversation with their parents about
the dangers of drinking and driving, and how one’s parents would
much rather have their child safe than dead. For those without stable
home situations, this can conversation can come in the form of a
friend who doesn’t want their friend risking their life by driving
home alone. Ensuring someone’s safety in this situation is made
easier through sources like Uber and Lyft. In social situations, I
have noted that the responsibility to ensure that the impaired can
make it home safe is sometimes placed in the hands of the sober. It
takes a lot of courage to keep someone from driving themselves home,
but this is needed to save lives, especially when one cannot make
decisions on their own.