4 Ways to Talk to Your Friends About Impaired Driving

Everyone knows impaired driving is dangerous. Problem is, warnings from parents and scare tactics from ads don’t always keep young drivers and passengers safe on the road. Know what does? Reminders from friends...friends like you!

By preventing impaired driving (drunk driving, driving while high, driving while drowsy), we could help save over 15,000 lives a year. That’s why through the Friends On Lock campaign from DoSomething.org and General Motors, thousands of young people are having the conversation about impaired driving. Want to protect people you care about the most? Here are four ways to start the conversation.

1) Offer your help.

You may have heard parents say, “If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, just call me.” They make that offer out of love, but for lots of us, asking a parent to bail us out can feel pretty weird. But if you make that offer, your friend is likelier to take you up on it and avoid a dangerous situation.

Example: “I just want to let you know that if you’re ever in a situation where you think it’s unsafe to be a driver or a passenger, just text or call me. Seriously. I don’t care what time it is or where you are -- I’ll come pick you up or find someone who can. I won’t be mad...but I might make you repay in doughnuts.”

2) Focus on friendship.

Driving while drunk, high, or drowsy is a serious subject, but you don’t have to scare your friends into making good decisions. Instead, you could focus on the fact that really you care about them and their safety.

Example: “You know I’d do anything for you, right? I’d lend you my notes for a test, help you pick out an outfit for homecoming, donate my kidney to you-- whatever. I also want to do whatever I can to keep you safe on the road.”

3) Start with a personal story.

Was there a time you saw someone make the right choice when it came to impaired driving? Was there a time you were put in a situation where you had to make a decision? Have you been personally affected in some way with impaired driving?

Example: “I was out last weekend and at the end of the night realized our designated driver, Dave, was super drunk. We all ended up taking a ride share home, and I gave Dave a ride the next morning so he could pick up his car. He was pretty embarrassed, but we’re all glad everything turned out ok.”

4) Give alternatives.

Instead of just saying, “Don’t drive drunk or high,” you can also add some easy alternatives to impaired driving, which your friend may not have considered.

Example: “If you’re ever in a situation where you don’t feel safe driving or riding as a passenger, there’s a bunch of stuff you can do. Ask someone else you’re with if they have a designated driver you can ride with. Use a ridesharing app to order a car. Or call or text me.”

DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change. Our digital platform is activating 6 million young people (and counting!) to create offline impact in every US area code and in 131 countries.