Education is the Key to Safety

Education is the Key to Safety

On Thanksgiving Day 2017, my life was forever changed. I was having a “friendsgiving” with some of my closest friends when I heard the worst words imaginable, “Rhyan was in a car accident and she didn’t make it.” I just stood there in shock. I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t think that it was true, sometimes I still don’t believe it. I had just found out I lost one of my best friends! She was the girl who made my day ten times better. She was the girl who always made me smile and laugh no matter how down I was feeling. That day was the worst day of my life.

Rhyan was in the backseat of her grandparent’s car when the car was t-boned by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. Not only did he run a stop sign but he was traveling at a high rate of speed which killed Rhyan on impact. The wreck also severely injured both of her grandparents, mentally and physically. The loss was felt throughout the community which led to a memorial site at the CHHS flagpole, pink shirts with Rhyan’s favorite quote “Every day is a good day,” and hundreds of grieving family members and friends who could not imagine life without her.

We cannot control the actions of others; however, I strongly believe if we educate people we can prevent other drunk driving tragedies. In elementary school we “say no to drugs.” They educate us on the dangers of drugs and the importance of standing your ground under peer pressure. In middle school we have health education that teaches us about birth control, pregnancy and STDs. Where is the education about driving under the influence?

Statistics might vary from site to site but we all know a very large number of high school students experiment with alcohol or even drink on a regular basis. According to MADD, “underage drunk drivers are guilty of a quarter of the car crashes among their age demographic.” These are preventable tragedies just as Rhyan’s death was. I feel most schools believe that if they don’t talk about it then it won’t happen, but almost every high student will at some point experiment with alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “an average of one alcohol-related death occurs every 48 minutes.” This statistic blows my mind! I have never realized how many deaths in one day are caused by drunk driving. I believe if we were more educated on the dangers of drunk driving and what it does to people it might significantly lower the percentage of people dying every year.

Let’s educate our youth and let’s start before they even get a license. I know that Rhyan’s death taught me an important lesson because it was personal. It was someone I could relate to. What if we brought teenagers who drove drunk into the high school and they had to speak to the students about jail, court costs and community service? What if we brought in a teenager who lost a sibling to a drunk driver to speak to the students? What if we brought in a student who drove drunk and had an accident that changed their physical appearance for the rest of their lives? What if one of the above people speaking to students had a positive impact on someone and helped them to make a better decision one night that saved someone’s life? We don’t have to stop there. Instead of pretending like teenagers are not going to drink let’s educate them like they are going to. Let’s tell them about Uber. Let’s tell them to make a pact with their friends to always plan ahead and have a sober driver for the night. Let’s teach them signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning and the importance of getting help when needed. Let’s educate on the dangers of binge drinking. Let’s tell them no one drinks unless they have a sober way home.

After Rhyan’s death a foundation was created in her name, Rhyan’s Good Day Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to raise awareness about the tragic consequences of impaired driving, and fund annual scholarships to deserving students from Rhyan’s high school. I have been highly involved in the foundation since her passing. It not only allows me to feel connected to Rhyan but also allows me to help others, as I know Rhyan would have done if she were here with us today. I have designed two “Rhyan” t-shirts that were sold to the student body, obtained auction items for the yearly gala, helped organize gala events, assisted with the Run 4 Rhyan, and most recently sold angel pins that will be worn by the student body and families in remembrance of Rhyan on graduation day. Over the last three years the foundation has provided $50,000.00 in scholarships for graduating seniors. Honestly, as I sit here writing this paper I feel I want to do more. I want to lower the number of deaths due to drunk drivers each year, each month, each week, even every minute! My mission to educate others on the dangers of drunk driving is ongoing and will continue throughout my life.