My Act of Resistance: Drunk Driving

For my act of resistance I chose to inform people on something that I feel very strongly about which is drunk driving. I informed my friends and family on thanksgiving by handing out sheets of paper that said the following:
Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. Yet 65% of all traffic accidents are a result of drunk driving. After having only a few drinks even simple tasks such as writing become more difficult. Don’t take the risk, stay the night, call a cab, or have a designated driver. Be safe don’t make a life altering mistake that could have easily been prevented. You never know how much you’ll regret it or how many people will be hurt. Make sure you have a safe and happy thanksgiving and encourage those around you to do the same.
I chose drunk driving as my act of awareness not only because I knew a lot of the friends and family there would be drinking but also because I have had family members who have gotten in car accidents after drinking or been hit by someone who was drinking. I think that driving is dangerous enough without drunk drivers because you never know what is going on in the minds of people around you and you should always be 100% aware of your surroundings, which is impossible even after only one drink. I never think it is a good idea to get in the car with someone who has been drinking it is too dangerous and I think it is done too often and not thought about enough. I know many people that have multiple DUI’s and still drink and drive and I think they don’t think about the possible consequences as much as they should. So by doing this I hoped that not only would it effect my friends and families decisions on Thanksgiving but also in the future.
The reactions to my handout were great. Everyone really paid attention and asked me what made me decide to do it so I told them about our project and why I chose drunk driving. We all talked about it later and I felt that I really got the point across and a lot of my family told me that they were proud of me for standing up for what I believed in. There were a few designated drivers on Thanksgiving. And my parents and some of my aunts and uncles really took what I was doing seriously and didn’t drink. Drinking isn’t as big of a deal by my mother’s family as it is by my dads anyway but I still feel that I made a difference.
In the future I would like to inform an even larger group of people who I may not be as closely related to. There were about 50 people all together at my Thanksgiving dinner. I think 50 is a good start but it would be great in the future if I could figure out a way to inform more people, maybe even three times that and see the difference in their prospective as well. Because I think when people really see that something is important enough to you to take the time out and inform them that is when they really listen.
I think that my act still helped the problem even though it wasn’t a very large group of people because my friends and family really did pay attention and rearrange their plans to support me. In the future I hope they will think of me when they go places and make plans to have a safe way home if they are drinking. I feel really good about informing my friends and family and helping them make the best decisions possible so they don’t hurt themselves or others. And in the future maybe I will inform them on something else or arrange some way to inform a larger group of people on drunk driving. It definitely feels good to know that I made even a small change in my families plans because you never know what could of happened if I didn’t. I would love to do that again in the future. It makes me feel like I can really make a difference.