If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too? Um, no, probably not. But if your friends were distracted as they were driving you, say with texting or flipping through their music play list, would you sit back and let them do it? Would you do it too in your own car? This ongoing cycle of distracted teenage drivers is leading to 11 teen deaths per day. That doesn't even account for the thousands more who are seriously injured; often permanently.
The problem is most teenagers feel like they are the exception; that they know what they're doing because they've done it before and its no big deal. The social influences on driving inspire showing off your driving skills by flying at extreme speeds, and blasting the most head bashing songs through your sick sub-woofer speakers. Would all that be worth it if actual head bashing came as a result? As much as we think we are, TEENAGERS ARE NOT INVINCIBLE. Its not the common thought when you get into your car that those who sit on your seats, are trusting you with their lives. Your life is not something to toss around and gamble with. Ask anyone who has been the cause of an accident because they were distracted if what they were doing 2 seconds before collision was worth the effects afterward. An accident takes one second to occur and a lifetime to recover from.
So what if you are that passenger and your friend who's driving is being reckless? Just imagine what you would be thinking if you got in an accident and you had done nothing to help your friend focus. Especially if one of your friends died in that accident, would you blame yourself? None of that even needs to happen. Think of how many accidents could have been prevented if passengers only took the courage to tell the driver to stay focused and let them take care of the music and mobile communications.
Be responsible. Step up and be safe. Risky and dangerous are not for thrills and excitement. That's what amusement parks are for. Driving is not meant to give the allusion of a roller coaster. There is no track and all the power functions are manual, not automatic. If you were to seriously injure or even kill someone because of one song, or one text, or one distraction, would you be able to justify it and be okay with changing so many lives forever? That somebody is somebody else's someone. To everything there is a season and a time. Don't mix driving time with texting time. Join teens all across America by going to www.KeeptheDrive.com and finding out how they are doing their part to keep our roads safe. Instead of being told to drive safe, you be the one to tell! Together we CAN make a difference in lowering the accident death rate. Lets protect our fellow friends out there who all have places to go, things to do, stuff to see; you know, live.