SHIFT, Transcending Generations

In light of this year’s Leadership Summit theme, “Inspiring Generations” and our Office of Highway Safety’s SHIFT campaign, I wanted to take a moment to share how I’ve seen these ideas collide.

As with most of us here at ITD, it’s hard for our work not to infiltrate our personal lives, plus I just love talking about transportation, so family and friends are always getting my high-level messaging.

And what’s really cool, is that I’m pretty sure most of them have been listening…case-in-point, my mother.

Several weeks ago, I went on a camping trip over in eastern Oregon. Leading up to this trip, I’d been helping the folks with a few things.  They knew I was going on this camping trip while they were already going to be out of town, so my mom left me a note. 

“Hi Ramón, off to Shake Creek above the guard station.  Then Sunday dad will take me to Baumgartner…Hope you have a safe and fun trip.  Be good to yourself – Drive safely...SHIFT!”

When I read this, my jaw dropped!  My mom actually used SHIFT in her note to me.  Now, if this isn’t a classic example of inspiring generations, then I don’t know what is.  Some would say that particular phraseology inherently carries an assumption that it is the older generations that inspires the younger generations, but in fact, this instance was the exact opposite.

My mom has heard me talk soooooo much about our SHIFT campaign (thanks BK) that it is now part of her thinking, and that’s the whole point of SHIFT.  It is designed to get people thinking in a new way and to be cognizant of our behaviors when we know we are going to be behind the wheel.

I hope that this story inspires you to continue talking about safe driving and what that really means. Focus on the task at hand, be present and put down your electronic devices, because that oh so important Snapchat can surely wait.

Published 11-01-19