As many of us are approaching the age permitted to begin driving, us Year 10’s were given the task to create a campaign on a specific driving issue (speed, alcohol, fatigue or distracted driving) which would educate young drivers on the dangers of the chosen issue, and ways to keep them safe. I chose distracted driving as I believe it is one of the major issues that young drivers counter. I created a short video campaign which would theoretically be put on various online platforms to effectively reach the target audience. It can be viewed below:

Biggest Learnings from this Task

Completing this task taught me the various types of distractions that might occur when I begin to drive and the consequences of engaging with them. The most dangerous and common distractions involve phone usage and distracting passengers. This is because, while texting and driving, the chance of a crash occurring is 6 times higher than when you are drunk. This shows the significance of driving with your full attention on the road to prevent accidents. Another key takeaway I learnt from this task is that despite new drivers being informed on the dangers of distracted driving, they still engage in these behaviours. These seemingly small actions which take your eyes off the road for a few seconds (such as changing the song or setting navigation) is equivalent to driving blindly for a certain large length of road, which greatly increases chances of collisions.

Advice for Young Drivers

One of the most important pieces of advice I would pass on to other young drivers, is that it is “better late than never”. This expresses that when you are running late or need to complete tasks before you arrive somewhere, you shouldn’t breach the road rules to arrive on time. It is much better to turn up late to your destination safely, rather than creating an accident and never arriving. Distractions such as eating, making a call, changing the music, or brushing hair, should be completed either before or after the drive, never during. This will avoid accidents and keep you safe, even if it results in lateness. 

My Driving Pledge

I pledge to always follow the road rules and approach road situations in a calm, intelligent manner to ensure the safety of myself, my passengers, and drivers around me. I will be a responsible, knowledgeable, and courteous driver who is aware of my surroundings by avoiding distractions that may divert my attention from the road.

I picked these things to commit to as a driver, because they are the aspects of a safe driver that I also want to embody and represent. I also want to keep myself, passengers, and others safe at all times through avoiding distractions because through this task I have learnt how dangerous and tempting it can be to answer a call or eat while driving.

I will stick to these commitments through constantly working to become a better driver and having a clear mindset to avoid risky and dangerous situations. I will make sure to complete all the things that I intent to do, before or after my drive, not while driving. I will also take control over the things happening inside my car (such as distracting friends or loud music), and ensure my eyes are always on the road not observing my other surroundings.