Our campaign was aimed at raising awareness of the harmful effects of smoking while driving
The ideas
No problem in the social community can be solved completely unless we look at the problem from the perspective of young people. Their opinion is very important. As we heard about the YOUR Ideas YOUR Initiatives project, we wanted to try to do something that nobody else has done so far.
Today we can not imagine life without the use of new technologies. They are all around us. Due to the growing use of new technologies, we are wondering whether they help us or not. However, one habit has existed for much longer and continues to be prevalent on a daily basis. It's cigarettes. Many people in the world are actively smoking, not looking at the place and the moment when they do it. Not rarely, they do so when driving and forget about the basic principles of safe driving.
While standing on the street, we see a large number of drivers who smoke while driving. Why do they do two things at the same time, is it safe? What do they do when the cigarette comes to an end? They leave a very bad image of drivers in this area as they throw cigarettes out of the window.
Looking at young people who are beginning to smoke very early, we wonder if the habits they are now acquiring are also transmitted in moments when it is necessary to show seriousness and respect for other traffic participants.
In order to eliminate this phenomenon during driving, it would be necessary that no one smokes in the car, and that parents and all citizens, by their example, show the younger the proper behavior in traffic.
The initiatives
The main purpose of our campaign was to try to influence the mind and behavior of all traffic participants, especially drivers of motor vehicles. We thought first to begin by ourselves and continue the mission by influencing the behavior of others.
First, we saw all the negative effects that causes smoking while driving and tried to show how it looks behind the wheel. The consequences can be tragic. Many of the things we learned about safe traffic can be applied if you do not smoke while driving. Many of us have the opportunity to ride in a car in which the parent smokes and we used these experiences during the realization of the project.
To make it clearer, we made a flyer with a clear message not to smoke while driving.
We first spoke to students in a classroom about he events that occurred to them and were related to smoking while driving.
In order to change the habits of parents, other smokers and those who just laid it, we thought that through action we could draw attention to them not to do it anymore. The best place for that would be at school and near the school.
After preparing the entire material in cooperation with the traffic police, we conducted interviews with drivers who brought their children by car and passers who were very interested in the action. They gave support to the realization, they were very open and warm and gave a lot of comments on the negative actions of individuals in traffic.
106 people participated in the survey. There were 50 men and 56 women. The majority of them are smokers, and they are male. Bad habits that they have, use and when they are in the car, despite the fact that passengers are bothered by cigarettes in the car. Unfortunately, a large number of them throw cigarettes on the street while those who smoke in the car almost all throw cigarettes when they drive. Should we tell some people who throw cigarettes out the window, the question is now? Although many do not comment on this kind of procedure, some say that they should be punished and that the punishment should be entered into the law.
There is little talk about this problem and little knowledge. No smoking during driving is not cited as a cause of a traffic accident. We were upset when one man told us that he had experienced a traffic accident because he dropped his cigarette into his lap. As he was scared, he bent down, did not see the way in front of him and crossed the island that separates the carriageway. Fortunately, he was not injured, but after that he never smoked again while driving.
We are proud to have achieved the purpose. Many young people found out about negative traffic phenomena that they did not know so far and that nobody warned them about. The most common comment by adults was that it should be included in the law to prohibit smoking during driving in order to increase the safety of traffic for all participants. We know we are right because we received support from the police and all citizens who participated in the project's relocation.
We believe that our action will have an impact on other traffic participants, which will enable our members and all respondents to transmit information about the harmful effects of smoking while driving.
