10 Young People That Are On the Road to Self Care

Cruising to a beach party or taking a road trip to go see Beyoncè on tour is exciting! You may be itching to hop in the car and take your friends on a journey that hopefully leads to making wonderful memories. We don't want that fun to stop. Instead, we want to make sure you can stay safe behind the wheel and weigh your mental health needs beforehand.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “motor-vehicle crashes continue to be the number one cause of preventable death for U.S. teens.” In 2021, the number of fatalities from crashes involving at least one young driver were 5,565, a 9.8% increase from 2020.

Our program, Eyes Ride Open, is a powerful reminder that distracted driving can cause incidents on the road to be fatal. Mental health plays a big role in how tragedies can be prevented. With developing stressors, anxiety, and at times depression, your mind can become overwhelmed in ways that could cause you to take your eyes off the road. We want to keep you protected and provide y’all with the tools to check stress and distractions at the door before your keys hit the ignition.

Road to Self Care, the first stop on our Eyes Ride Open program, is already engaging members with resources to support their mental health journey. Over 8,000 mental health and road safety checklists have been shared since 2019. These members are ready to equip their loved ones with tools to keep calm and safe behind the wheel. Here are ten DoSomething.org members putting in the werk:

1) Carlo G., 20

“This campaign is especially important to me because I was recently involved in a car accident that could have been avoided if I had been paying more attention to the road and not lost in my head. Thankfully nobody was injured but it is something I will never forget and I constantly make sure my friends are okay when on the road especially when I know they are going through a tough time, because I know firsthand how easy it is to block out the world around you because you're not feeling too great.”

2) Trinity D., 19

“Having a calm and steady mindset on the road is essential to ensuring the safety of yourself and your fellow peers on the road. So taking care of your mental health is really important, especially while getting onto the road with hundreds of other people. Also making sure to stay hydrated and get some good rest and food before you drive is important to stay alert while on your journey!”

3) Aditi N., 17

“This campaign is important to me because I recently turned seventeen and am practicing driving almost everyday to prepare for my road test. Before driving, I never really looked out the window while sitting in the passenger seat, usually busy scrolling through social media until we reached our destination. However, now, I pay a lot more attention as I’ve realized just how scary driving can be, requiring quick decision making at times. It’s so important to be aware, not only for your own safety, but for others too. Together, spreading awareness through efforts like these, we can collectively make roads a safer place.”

4) La’Shedria J., 18

“I have lost 4 friends due to unsafe driving., High school was really hard after that. Everytime my friends go out I always tell them to be safe and I love them. You never know when it will be the last time you see a loved one. It only takes one second, one bad turn, one bad Driver, one bad decision and your loved one will all be gone. To be safe it only takes one deep breath, One seat belt click, and One smart Decision. Keep promoting Safe driving so we don't have to keep losing friends in the split of an instant.”

5) Rachel H., 17

“Several teenagers that I know struggle with mental health. I have even had close friends go through dark mental periods. Such friends have confided in me, and sometimes I am unsure how to respond. At this stressful time full of uncertainty about life after high school, high school students are very vulnerable. The resources on this campaign inform individuals that they are far from alone and that there are excellent coping methods. Not only does this campaign benefit those who are hurting, but it also shows their friends ways to help.”

6) Erin Kristen A., 18

“My friends and I started driving during the covid years...aka online learning. Not the ideal environment for learning vital life skills, especially when the safety of everyone on the road depends on a lack of behind the wheel teaching (at the time). This is important since I wanted to remind myself to relax and focus, being nervous will certainly not help myself learn or stay safe behind the wheel. I wanted to send this to my friends and family for that same reason.”

7) Megan S., 17

“This campaign is important to me because in Nebraska, we have had many teen crashes that have led to injury and some even death. This campaign works to keep me and my peers safe while on the road. This campaign is very special because there are many anxious teens that drive and that can be a real problem that many people overlook.”

8) Enkh Undrakh T., 15

“The flowers next to the roads could have been prevented. Life changing injuries, high costs to repair the damage, and in serious cases, lives being lost, is no joke. By making this short checklist/poster, I hope to remind everyone I care about, and eventually everyone, to be mindful of their emotions and their thoughts, so accidents on the road happen less. If everyone plays their part in being mindful and even taking public transport or biking instead, many lives could be saved. I am excited to have made a small impact for now, and continue to share my checklist to more people, to help out with road safety and mental health. I will continue being engaged with the Do Something organization and make an impact!”

9) Declan C., 20

“A close family friend of mine suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident at the age of 20. Seeing the everyday challenges he faced because of a momentary lapse of judgment his friend made decades ago (driving intoxicated) was heartbreaking and eye-opening."

10) Azaa P., 17

“A lot of my friends are able to drive now and as teenagers we can be irresponsible and can easily cause injuries to us and others especially when driving, which is why I wanted to remind my friends to drive safely and calmly because I have seen my friends go through road rage and make bad choices.”

If you are inspired by their stories, get started on the Road to Self Care! Get your mental health checklist and share it with your friends and in your community.