Preserving a Nations Love for Driving

A memory from my childhood unfolds through the hazy glare of nostalgic wistfulness. Laughter fills my childhood bedroom as my friend and I pretend to drive race cars filled with toy passengers on pillow seats and with dinner plate steering wheels. Back then, driving a car was simple; the logistics of simply turning our wheels and stomping on the carpet “brake.” As I got older, driving became the burden of our parents, assuming the roles of indignant and, at times, bitter chauffeurs. My middle school friend group spent our afternoons artfully texting crafted pleas, desperately trying to convince one of our mothers to take us to the mall and another to pick us up. As the years passed, and with the slow progression of each friend passing their driving test, the burden of each parent driver lessened with every addition to the driving population.

Like most children, that desire to acquire one’s driver’s license has long defined my life: to get my license and have freedom. Back then, driving marked proper maturation, the entry to adulthood. Driving meant adventure, the limitless possibility of “where to next?” With that freedom and feeling of superiority came the opportunity for defiance. A passed driver’s test instilled confidence, but at what cost? How could that plastic card front and center in our wallets transform us into being expert drivers? Into indestructible bodies? I have often witnessed destructive, irresponsible driving by my peers when our favorite song comes on, and dancing always seems so much more hilarious behind the wheel or making curfew at the expense of the speed limit rather than a half-hour lost with friends. This is why it is of the utmost importance for my generation and other young drivers to learn that while driving is truly a gift, we must not have it tainted by the irreversible costs poor driving decisions could unleash.

I have long seen firsthand the efforts many adults have attempted to educate our nation’s youth in diverse settings regarding various topics. However, more often than not, because today’s young adult learning model has evolved, the attempt usually takes away precious learning time and comes off as patronizing, leading to resentment. As a result, there is the inevitable immediate shutdown of any attentive listening or feedback from students, and in this case, the most vulnerable drivers. This is why I believe one step to reducing the number of driving-related deaths should be school-sanctioned, student-led courses dedicated to promoting safe driving conversation. Not only can these courses be defined by the shared joy of a student’s love for driving and their affinity for cars, but the importance surrounding getting into a vehicle is more genuine. In these sessions, survivors of car accidents can speak to students in sponsored forums where students can ask questions and discuss the cost of recklessness behind the wheel. Teens will feel less inclined to tune out and stress about the “wasted” class or assignment time if it’s a class focused on their interests given by peers. These courses can be weekly with varied lengths to suit the subject, but students should be able to lead them, as they will know what learning techniques best suit them.

As a result, younger audiences will be more susceptible to learning and feel more comfortable sharing their driving experiences and encouraging others to practice safer habits. I am often guilty of weighing drives, believing myself indestructible on those ten-minute drives in my neighborhood instead of the anxiety-inducing highway drives. When a car is involved, the stakes are high, and one should hold oneself to the highest degree of consciousness – no matter the length or where, such as a neighborhood or highway. Acknowledging this fact would make me and my peers safer drivers.

Driving is a gratifying aspect of life and growing up. It allows for travel and experience beyond what is readily available to a less mobile individual. However, that joy can also promote the naive forgetfulness of the liberties taken when a car is involved. Driving is hazardous, and one should be mature and responsible when engaging in it. Students should lead school-mandated courses to facilitate conversations about safe driving habits. Not only will this recognition contribute to a continuous high priority of driving safety, but will aid in the conservation and cultivation of that precious affinity for driving. While most are guilty of superior complexes about their driving capabilities, there must be a global recognition of such a fact so we can protect our nation’s drivers.