Driving Safely is Rooted in Valuing Others

The
social culture of this modern age encourages a search for constant,
on-demand stimulants, reasoning that if you are not a part of some
social group or culture, then you’re missing out. While the
internet may be an outlet for everyone to escape their lives, others
find their escape in drinking or drugs; it’s a search to lose sight
of the moment or circumstance and let the mind be released from the
pressures it perceives so that it can be someone else, even if only
for a few moments. This impulse permeates every part of our lives,
not only diverting our attention from the life we live with family
and friends but endangering our own and others’ lives as we drive
from place to place.

There are many
systems already in place to prevent poor decisions from being made
behind the wheel. Schools have Drivers ed courses required to
be taken by students. Some schools have parents that have lost their
children in accidents come in and share their stories. Businesses
such as Uber and Lyft provide rides to and from various locations,
specifically to stop personal endangerment. However, distracted and
under-the-influence driving continues to occur all throughout the
United States.

This is clearly a
problem of mindset. Human beings have grown to believe that
in-the-moment choices to satisfy desires and losing sight of reality
give greater satisfaction than safely returning home to a hopeful
future, but those that distract themselves or drink their lives away
see nothing worth returning to. No amount of education classes, grief
stories, or driving services can replace the reality that this
society has lost hold of joy and love for one another, creating a
craving within every individual to lose touch with the world and find
the slightest possibility of validation from the world rather than
from their community.

As a small part of
this majorly dysfunctional machine called society, it’s important
that every human being takes their role in others’ lives seriously.
The words we choose to speak, the actions we take, the places we go
and with whom we go are all important decisions that impact not only
our own lives but the lives around us as well. I find it important to
follow our advice with actions; when I tell my younger brothers that
it is unsafe to drive while texting, then I will not text while
driving. I believe it’s important to not drive while inebriated,
then I should offer to drive my friends home rather than let them
figure out their own situation. If people see hypocritical behavior
after hearing how something should be done, then there is no chance
for them to actually adopt safe practices. We must all take our
lives, words, and actions seriously in order to make a positive
change and consider the influence we have on one another rather than
throw away our chance to make a difference for the good of others.