It was past 2:00 pm on Friday, May 9th, when I finished my AP Macroeconomics exam. I was tired and looking forward to meeting up with my sister in the front office, where we often spent time together. However, something was off. When I met my sister, we sat down and everything seemed normal, that is, until she told me about the dreaded news: our aunt had been killed by a driver who ran through a stop sign.
America’s second-deadliest epidemic, besides gun violence, is dangerous drivers. Drivers like the one who ran through a stop sign and ended my aunt's life at just 44. Although a drunk driver did not end my aunt's life, a reckless and similarly irresponsible driver did. In many cases, because not every road can be regulated at every hour, dangerous drivers can make impulsive, deadly decisions when no one is watching. Thus, from that day, filled with sadness and anger, I have always wondered what could have been done, if anything, to prevent my aunt’s sudden death. Ultimately, though her passing may never be undone, tragedies from drunk and dangerous drivers can be lessened through a nationwide initiative empowering teens to speak up against drunk driving. However, reckless driving takes on many forms, and my own experiences have awakened me to the dangers of driving dangerously. For instance, I have witnessed my mom on multiple occasions texting and driving. Although she can look up every second and drive well, she is still putting herself at risk of losing control of the car or looking at the phone before an accident occurs. My sister has spoken frequently to my mother on this issue, but she continues to text and drive. Thus, teens like me often hear or witness reckless driving, but do not know how to reach drivers in our lives who seem to ignore words and continue driving hazardously. But, what if there were a way to empower teens nationwide to speak up against dangerous driving?
The Passenger Project—Empowering Teens to Speak Up would be an initiative aimed at an age group where reckless driving becomes more common and recklessness can turn deadly. Instead of focusing solely on the driver, the initiative would train and empower teen passengers to take the necessary steps to intervene if they are in a car with someone driving under the influence. In the end, The Passenger Project would target teens, an often overlooked age group in the fight against dangerous drivers, through a variety of actionable steps across schools.
The Project would begin by selecting peer mentors from partner school districts, representing each high school grade . These mentors would introduce and check in with students through monthly class meetings, using an app sponsored by the project, where teens can complete courses on the dangers of reckless driving. These are not just courses, but rather a series of simulator games in which students see firsthand the dangers of driving recklessly and or drunk driving. Following the completion of these simulation games, students will attend monthly meetings by their grade level, where select peer mentors will introduce weekly prizes for completing the simulation games, sponsored by The Passenger Project. Grade levels will compete against one another each month to see which class can complete the most simulation games in a month. In addition, peer mentors will have the ability to gain service hours as they volunteer with the nonprofit organization, and be recognized with a plaque and certificate of completion as a Passenger Project Hero. At the end of the school year, each high school grade level will come together in one gym to see which students completed the most simulation lessons and earned the most prizes. The winning class will receive a reward of their choice, under school guidance, and be proudly displayed on our website as honorary Passengers Project Troopers.
Ultimately, by engaging with teen drivers, The Passenger Project is creating a safer driving environment, and students will not only learn to keep themselves safe but also those around them. Although The Passenger Project cannot bring back lives lost to reckless and drunk drivers, such as my aunt’s, it would pave the way for lives to be saved and raise the next generation to be safe drivers. Programs like The Passenger Project play a vital role in addressing the epidemic of irresponsible driving by reaching young adults where they are, through peers, technology, and real-world scenarios that put into place how dangerous driving is in destroying lives.