Teach Someone the Dangers of Drunk Driving
Despite knowing that drunk driving kills and injures thousands of people around the year, every year, some people still believe they are above the law or that they can drive well whilst under the influence of alcohol. If you choose to take on the task of teaching people the dangers of drunk driving, these steps may be of some assistance to you.
Steps
- Identify your target audience. Decide who you want to teach about the dangers of drunk driving and choose an appropriate venue.
- Tailor your lessons to your audience. Certain ages and types of people will learn in different ways.
- Research statistics. The statistics on alcohol-related road traffic collision can be shocking and should help to get your message across.There are many resources to do this with, including many scientific journals
- Use shock tactics if appropriate. One method suitable for educating groups of high school students is to ask them to look at the people sitting next to them. Each member of the group should then be asked what they think will be the cause of death for those they just looked at. Chances are, in a group of 15-19 year old boys, the most likely thing to kill them will be the person sitting in the middle, especially if they drink and drive.
- Explain the long term and far reaching effects of drink driving. A conviction for drunk driving could lose a person their job. A family who loses someone to drunk driving will feel the impact of the incident for the rest of their lives.
- Target young females in particular. Hundreds of young girls are killed and injured by their boyfriends' bad, or drunk, driving. Boys show off to girls. Educate girls they have a right to refuse to get into a car with a boy that they think won't or can't drive safely.
- Make your audience understand that just because they have gotten away with drunk driving in the past, doesn't mean they will continue to get away with it. There is NEVER any excuse for driving under the influence.
- Teach your audience that even a minor fender bender caused by drunk driving will need to be attended by the emergency services. These preventable incidents are a waste of professional resources whose time could be better spent saving lives or preventing serious crime.
- Educate your audience about the legal penalties for drunk driving.
- Be a good role model by not getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.
- Use resources such as videos, posters and leaflets. These should be available through your fire department, council or appropriate government organization.
- Employ the catch phrase Better late than never—It's better to be sober and arrive later than to be drunk and never get there at all.
Tips
- Remind them that it can happen to them. Everyone seems to think that they are exempt for the repercussions of their actions.
