One puts on their shoes for practice as an athlete; similarly, you put on your shoes to go for a drive. Athletes bring knee pads and other protective gear to their sports practice. Drivers wear their seatbelts while driving for protection as well. One makes sure they are fully healthy to perform their best while at practices or games. As a driver, they should make sure they are fully conscious and sober. Being prepared, safe, and healthy is the key in both sports and driving. Just like an athlete practices discipline, focus, and awareness to succeed, drivers must approach the road with the same level of dedication and mindset.

You would never compete in athletic impaired, so what is the difference in driving? Being under the influence affects your judgement, reaction times, and coordination. Those are all essential to safely operate a vehicle. Another form of impairment while driving, which is commonly misunderstood, is cell phone usage. As an athlete, you would not use your phone during practice times or games. Why should one be on their phone while driving, then? Most people disregarded this fact, but it has become a very common factor in accidents in this century. It impairs your way of driving by being distracted, misjudging timings, and affecting your coordination, like being under the influence. Studies have shown that texting while driving makes a crash up to 23 times more likely. Even a few seconds of distraction can change a life forever. People overestimate their ability to drive a vehicle while on a cell phone or under the influence until something happens to themselves or a loved one.

This issue became personal to me on May 12, 2024, which was Mother's Day. A day to celebrate mothers was flipped into a day my family will not forget. I can remember that phone call my father received from my mom, with her saying in panic, “I just got hit and I cannot find my glass.” In downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, on her way home from work, a semi truck slammed right into the back of my mom's car while at a red light because the driver was on his cell phone. Her car was totaled. He did not realize the red light till it was too late. This caused my mom to go to the hospital. They find multiple pinched nerves in her spine. Till this day, I find my mom still in pain from her accident. This was all from one driver using his cell phone while driving. I hate seeing my loved one in pain. It could have all been prevented if the driver had not been on his cell phone. That single decision behind the wheel did not just hurt my mom physically. It changed our entire family’s outlook on driving and personal responsibility.

My family’s experience reminded me why awareness matters. Soon, I became passionate about driving safety. The first way we can start is through a driver education school. Driver education schools should bring more awareness to impaired driving. A year and a half ago, when I was in driving school, this was not a popular subject spoken of. The statistics would decline if people were truly informed about the risks they take every time they pick up a phone while driving. Now I dedicate myself to informing others. Every time I speak, I pray that even one person chooses to put their phone away next time they are driving.

Playing my role in my community, I am an active participant in the North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transport Teen Ambassador program. Bringing awareness to the risks of driving through public speeches, television interviews, posts on social media, as well as becoming a role model in my community. As simple as it might sound, driving the speed limit, not using my phone, and not driving under the influence helps persuade others to follow the rules. An easy task people can do while in the car, while other people do, is if they are not doing something they feel is safe, speak up. Speaking up does not cause any harm. It can only help us and those around us. 

Whenever a person goes into the driver's seat of a car, they are risking not only their life but also everyone else who is in the vehicle with them. It is our responsibility as citizens to prepare people for the roads through driver education schools, as well as to become a role model on and off the roads. Safe driving starts with simple choices. Staying alert, staying sober, and staying alive for the people who matter most.