“I have the right to harm myself. It’s my choice. Why should you care?”
That was the mantra of tobacco smokers and smokers’ rights campaigns when no smoking rules and regulations began its encroachments on smokers . . . until 1986.
That is when the anti-smoking movement really gained traction when it was determined that second hand smoke was detrimental to all who were involuntarily exposed to it . . . everyplace everywhere.
“Third Hand Smoke”, has arrived. The toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair, clothing, cushions, carpeting etc. It lingers and then inhabits absorbent surfaces after a smoker leaves an area. So now it has been determined this residue does more than just stink. It is particularly harmful to young children.
The transformation is now almost complete. It’s no longer a matter of “my choice”. Society says smoking is unacceptable because non-smokers cannot escape its harm, which includes its exponential impact on health costs, both private and public.
The latest health cost findings published by the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that smoking employees cost companies an additional $7.18 per pack of cigarettes in health care bills, reduced productivity and absenteeism. That’s 36¢ a smoke.
So smokers have now been exiled to shrinking clusters of addicts, subject to public anger and pity, as they sit in smokers’ cages at airports or grab a smoke outside office buildings in freezing weather, etc., etc.
Now comes Aggressive Driving. Recently a blogger put it as follows:
“Second-hand Smoke is a familiar reference point for describing often fatal consequences of another’s choices and actions. “Second-Hand Driving” is a far more commonplace cause of destruction and death due to the choices and actions of others. Every morning on my daily commute my focus is unequally divided on operating my own vehicle and predicting what other drivers will do, with most attention going to the latter. The frenzied hurried pace of traffic, the byproduct of over-sleeping or underplanning, sets the stage for an inevitable vehicle crap-shoot. |
Whether it’s the “still dressing while driving” driver, the “having breakfast while driving” driver, “working in route” driver or the many, some even unimaginable, feats of multi-tasking that drivers attempt create an environment of senseless hazard. Too many vehicle operators drive as though they are the only users on the road. The actions of many drivers seem to blame other road users for their inability to keep scheduled appointments. This increasing attitude of selfishness fuels aggressive driving and discourages the common courtesy necessary in safe driving environments.”
Can we challenge his statement “Secondhand Driving is a far more common place cause of destruction and death due to the choices and actions of others”?
In the final analysis, is a texting, cell phone, or aggressive driving death or injury any different than a death or injury caused by a drunk driver?
From the victim’s perspective the answer is no. The terrifying part is the scale of the danger. In a recent study 37% admit to texting or emailing while driving, 84% use cell phones and 58% responded they drive at excessive speeds whenever possible.
Is there hope that we can transform our society’s driving behavior? Does “Hey, it’s my life, if I want to kill myself should you care” really work here? Of course not.
Aggressive Drivers are not bad people. They subconsciously modify their personalities while they are behind the wheel. They really know the Rules of the Road and are quick to apply them to other motorists rather than themselves. For the most part, they are preoccupied with things other than the operation of their vehicle and their driving routine is embedded and thus always the same.
The founders of Star Drivers are convinced that the only way to change driver behaviors and sustain their transformation is by enabling the driver to observe the real time cash value of Driving Smart. With the Fuel Efficiency Adviser cash measurement system smart driving happens.
New technologies and alternative fuels and power sources will come and go. Hybrids also crash and so will electrics. However, from an aggressive driving standpoint, the only Survivable Technology and the Ultimate Renewable are changing drivers’ behaviors. Star Drivers leads that mission. |
