Let’s Save Lives

Let’s Save Lives

Driving is the right of passage everyone looks forward to. Getting a license on your 16th birthday, getting a car, being able to go places with friends without parents tagging along, and having independence for the first time. However, there is an aspect of this exciting time in our lives that as a society we do not talk about enough. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Cars are often seen as an accessory in the eyes of teenagers to flaunt in front of friends as a sign of social status. Most of them do not see cars as giant weapons that can kill in an instant of bad judgment. In that instant, you have the power to leave families ruined in grief by killing their loved ones. Not only does it destroy others’ lives it also can ruin their own life. If it is not enough of a reason to drive safely for the sake of others’ lives than hopefully, they will do it for the sake of their own life and future. Finding a solution to the issue of dangerous driving habits is not a simple task. It is hard to come up with an answer on how to reduce dangerous driving habits that will change the majority of how individuals drive. With new technology placed in cars such as BlueTooth and Apple car play already making great strides to help limit distractions. The real problem is how to implement good habits from the beginning of one’s lifetime of driving. While convincing teenagers the importance of not only their actions while driving themselves, but also while others are driving with their life in the other person’s hands. While also getting them to apply good habits early on. I think the most effective way would be to create a school program. Where family members that have lost someone due to bad driving habits or people who were in near-death accidents come and share their stories. That personal in-person appeal to teenagers will captivate some of them and help them realize just how much it matters to drive safely. Appealing to their ethos might help them understand the seriousness of the situation more than being told the same logos approach where they are given statistics. However, without being able to reinforce school programs being seen through. Another possible idea that could help would be to have a different technique when it comes to driver training. Integrating interactive parts where they are faced with having to know the rules of the road and during this, they get fake notifications and messages tempting them to look. If they look they get a “ticket” in the game or maybe get in an accident. Showing them the consequences in a way they won’t tune out or click through to skip the reading. By making driver training more captivating, this will help them to not mindlessly click through the lessons. They will have to pay attention, use strategy, and be shown the importance of their actions while they drive a weapon.