I would like to extend to Yamal, and to the rest of the graduating class of 1998, a few parting words in the form of a brief public service announcement.

This time of year -- prom and graduation season -- we are inundated with messages in print and over the airwaves warning of the dangers of drunk driving. But statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers tell us that only 40% of our nation’s traffic fatalities are caused by drunk driving. And since we rarely hear anything said about the cause of the remaining 60%, I thought it would be appropriate to say a few words this evening about sober driving.

Each year far too many days are ruined, too much property destroyed, too much money spent, too many bones broken, too much blood spilled, and too many lives cut short at the hands of drivers who are presumably in complete control of their faculties when they take the wheel of a car. The implication is that over 25,000 traffic deaths a year could be prevented if one or more parties involved were just a little more careful, a little more patient, a little more alert, a little less lazy.

So, remembering that the road is one of the most prevalent and effective metaphors for life’s journey, I give to Yamal, and to the rest of you, the following advice:

• Stop at stop signs. Nothing could make more sense. Eat when you’re hungry. Sleep when you’re tired. Stop at the stop sign.
• Signal your intentions. If you’re going to turn or change lanes, give the people around you fair warning. Clear communication up front can prevent all kinds of problems.
• Slow down. Going 10 MPH faster might give you a meaningless couple of minutes on a cross town drive, but it will cost you critical split-seconds in reaction time. And if you do have an accident, it will cost you at least hours, and possibly even years. Remember the Tortoise and the Hare: sometimes you have to go slow to go fast.
• Be patient. If you’re trying to turn left across three lanes of traffic, don’t go just because you think you’ve waited long enough. And don’t go just because the guy behind you is impatient. Only go when you know you can safely make it across. Wait that extra 30 seconds, that extra minute, even 5 minutes if that’s what it takes. I would imagine that anyone who’s ever had a wreck would gladly take an extra 5 minutes in the left turn lane in exchange for the results of even their most benign accident. And don’t feel put upon and try to make up for every second of delay by going faster when you have the chance.
• Leave some space between you and the cars around you, and have the courage to go at a safe pace. Don’t get caught up in the pushing and shoving that compels people to rush to fill every car-sized hole that opens up in front of them. Nature abhors a vacuum, but you would be better served by disciplining yourself to overcome that nature and break out of the herd mentality.
• Be kind to the people around you. If somebody is trying to merge in front of you, let them in. It won’t kill you. It won’t cost you anything. And cutting them off could cost you plenty, and it might even kill you. If someone is driving too slow in front of you, don’t lurch past them with an angry word or gesture, yelling about how they don’t know where they’re going. Maybe they don’t. Give them a break. Everybody here has been lost or has experienced car trouble that slowed them down in the middle of traffic. People in that situation are vulnerable, and pressuring them to make a bad decision on your behalf or showing your anger or frustration at them in your driving will only make things worse for everyone involved.
• And finally, if a sober driver does encounter a drunk driver, the sober driver, by recognizing the situation, can even help cut down on the 40% of fatalities attributed to their drunken colleagues. If the driver in front of you is driving 10 MPH below the speed limit and drifting into the next lane, then lurching back into theirs, then drifting, then jerking back, and you look at the clock and it’s 2 AM, chances are they’re drunk. Don’t think, "I’ve had enough of this bozo," and pass them angrily. If you encounter a dangerous driver, keep them in front of you where you can keep an eye on them., and be prepared to stop if necessary. And if your civic juices are flowing, pull over and report them to the police before they kill somebody.

As for Yamal, he has been one of my best art students over the last two years. He has the talent, creativity, and disposition to succeed in any of a number of fields. My final piece of advice to him is this: follow your muse, Yamal, but follow at a safe distance, leaving at least three car lengths between the two of you.