Ladonna Claude Take 2: Episode 1128

Transcript

[00:00:39] HA: Driving while impaired, lights a match that threatens to set your life on fire. The legal financial and physical consequences of a DWI leave many people struggling to put out that fire. Welcome to the Author Hour Podcast. I'm your host, Hussein Al-Baiaty. My next guest is LaDonna Claude, who’s here to talk about her newest book called Consequences and Compassion. Let's get into it. Hello, friends. Welcome back to Author Hour. I'm Hussein, and I'm here with my good friend LaDonna Claude who just launched an amazing book called Consequences and Compassion. LaDonna, thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate your time.

[00:01:23] LC: Thank you for having me, Hussein. I'm so excited.

[00:01:26] HA: Yes, I'm so excited too, because, before our recording here, we got into a fun conversation. I can already tell this episode is going to be amazing. I think your book is much needed right now in our culture, and in our world. The book talks about the lessons from your work definitely on the frontlines of drunk, drugged, and distracted driving. I think that these conversations need to be had. I'm excited to go deep into them. However, before we get into that, and before we get into the book, I really want to get to know you a little bit, get our audience to know you a little bit. Why don't you give us a little bit of your personal background, perhaps where you grew up and maybe someone that inspired you the most growing up?

[00:02:06] LC: Okay, so I was born in Chicago, Illinois. I'm a shy town girl. I have developed this Texan probably accent. I have been in Texas since 1977, Austin, Texas. So I went to all my elementary, middle school, and high school there, and college. I will say the person who inspired me is I'm going to say to my father, and the gentleman when I first started my classes, when I realize I have a passion of knowing why people drink and drive behind the wheel. Since I mainly am a defensive driver instructor, and since I talk about the safety of behind the wheel, this gentleman came in my class. Sad to say, I can't remember his name, because that was 11 years ago, but when he opened up and says he had a DWI, I have to say he told me the things that he had to go through. That's what started and I realize I have something here.

[00:03:14] HA: That's really powerful. What would you say inspired you to being an instructor for defensive driving? Can you tell us a little bit about DWI? Because I know that's different than DUI. I want you to, before we get into that world, where did that urge come from to go into that world to start helping those types of like, those types of situations and people in those situations?

[00:03:38] LC: Great question. I would say, because being a defensive driving instructor, we basically have to, we're not trying to teach anyone how to drive, but we basically want to bring out the rules and regulations about the safeness and bring awareness about being behind the wheel. Of course everybody knows the stop sign the lights and things of that nature, but that's all first part of how I teach the class. The second part, how I teach the class is that's where I bring out about the three Ds. The drinking, the drugs and the distraction, which right now the distraction is the biggest thing that's going on in society, right now. I would say when I had someone acknowledged that they had a DWI. Over time, I realized everybody who has came to my class, it will be at least one that habit and they kept informed me of things they had to go through. Then I realized, “This is interesting. This list is long.” I've started, as overtime, I kid you not. He's on overtime. I kept adding something on. I started out with three and you go to jail, lose your license. That's basic, but then it started getting really interesting that what other people had to tell me that they were dealing with.

[00:05:06] HA: The list goes on, because it is intense, and not only how it impacts you, but really how it impacts other people, especially if you are in a bad or devastating accident and so on and so forth. But DWI, you value it as Driving while impaired. That's like you said, the fact that distractions today and I'm assuming, and we're going to get into this a little bit further is around our cell phones, maybe not our cell phones. I don't know your world. In your experience. What do you believe the most common misconceptions about driving while impaired are?

[00:05:42] LC: It would be right now, the cell phones. Our main focus behind the wheel is always to, as I even say this in the class is to look ahead, look side to side and look in the back through your mirrors, but we have a tendency to do other things such as eating, looking off at the sunset, majority, our cellphone’s notifications. That ding, just that urge that I got to see who this is, who's trying to contact me, instead of let me get to my destination, and then I'll respond. It's people who work, like realtors, and the whole society. Everybody has some situations why they use the phone, and ever since they've taken and that has to do with distraction part of it. That's just one part of it. There's a whole field of it. I would say, that's probably a big part of it right now.

[00:06:38] HA: That's the tip of the spear right now. Yeah, as it goes deeper and how it impacts you. The whole thing is, how worth it? How valuable is this message? Is it more valuable than your life or is it more valuable than the lives of others? I think for me that was a really powerful thing that helped me put the distraction away as often as I can, although I do admit 100% transparency here. I know this conversation is going to heavily influenced me, which I'm – this is why I'm excited is that I am on occasion, I do find myself catching myself like, “Oh, what am I doing? Put this thing away.” Even though I'm at a lights or whatever, it doesn't matter. There's no excuse for it, in my perspective. However, I'm guilty of it too. It's not like I'm going to go around telling people what to do or what not to do and what to advise them on. However, but this is a great conversation, because I feel like it's one we're not having. How it impacts your insurance. How it impacts me – I mean, you go through the whole list, and I was reading through it. I was like, “Oh, my God. This is so powerful.” That's just being pulled over and actually going to jail for that XYZ thing. Not to mention, God forbid. If you are drunk driving or driving under the influence of another drug or whatever, it's devastating, right? Because it could really lead to some horrendous outcomes. How do you approach educating your students about the consequences of a DWI and getting them to understand the gravity of their situation?

[00:08:05] LC: I would like to open up like how I start off with them. First off, and I even with everyone that's listening out in the podcast world is, first of all, I do say, forgive me. Forgive me for anything I say from this point on, because this can get very sentimental. It can get probably bring someone in tears. It could make you laugh in some situations. That's I put it all in the book. I will say this, there's a lot of passion that I put into this book. We don't realize how small things can make us impaired. I even tell the class I said, “Think of things. What do you really see at DWIs?” A lot of them just tell me? Oh, they'll name off maybe five, maybe max 10. That's as far as they can get them. Now, granted. I do tell them they only have one minute to tell me, give me some things that can relate to DWI, too. What do you – some of the ones who have a DWI they'll throw some things off, but when I open up and show them, I just want everyone to have an open mind. Think about, because there's two sides. There's the one who's impaired and slash the one who might have hurt someone else, or if they hurt themselves. A lot of times we all have a tendency to say, “It'll never happen to me. That does not apply to me.” That's why I want to break down to three Ds, because the drinking perhaps that doesn't apply to you. The being impaired with drugs perhaps that doesn't apply to you, but having a example of a cell phone that could apply to you. Majority of us, we all have cell phones now. I have been guilty before I've been an instructor. It's easy as a cell phone sitting in a seat, and you hear that notification that makes you wonder just like pick it up and look at it. Then next thing, you look at it, and that's all it takes is your eyes off for four seconds. I took my class, I let them know that if I would blindfold you, and put you in the end zone of a football field, and you need to walk to the other end zone. You wouldn't be able to do it in a straight way. You would drift. that's exactly example, how we are on the road. We drift. Our minds are like computers. You are first of all already thinking, when you left home, which is safe zone, you already set in your mind, I need to go here. I need to go there. I need to do this. I need to do that. I'll be back at this time. Then you come back home to save. That's our mentality of thinking, because we go do our endeavors and things that we need to do all day. Then we come back to safe zone. I think of it like a computer. You got so much things going on in the mindset, red car, blue car over here. She or he or her, son, daughter, you got all this going on, or I was upset, lights green. How can you add example of a phone into the mix of everything that's already in your computer mind, and example is 60 miles an hour. You have that in your mind, too. I need to be safe. I'm a great driver. My goal here is, I want us all to have a different perspective of ourselves. We have to take ownership. If we all try to take the next baby step of you know what, and I actually talked to miss Candace Lightner, who was the founder of MADD. Her and I actually had a conversation. I asked her as me being a defensive driving instructor, what would you like me to implement into my classroom setting? She said, “If everyone would take the initiative, and ownership of not utilizing a phone in their car.” Because she has a business now, we save lives. She has a great point. So, I’ll catch myself. Even though cars, they put it in the car now where you can hit, Do Not Disturb. Let's be real. How many of us utilize that?

[00:12:43] HA: It's a very interesting subject, because here's something that's a phenomena, it's very new to our human nature, right? To constantly be sucked into that vortex, right? That little black box, right, and then how it takes our attention away from not just a moment really, but then then it stirs up anxiety stirs up all kinds of things in of itself. Then you introduce that to the world of driving, which in of itself already is inundated with fear, right? Because you're traveling at high speeds, you're at the mercy of other drivers, you have to be really cognizant and aware and just apply that to working, emailing, right? When you have three, or four, or five, 10 tabs open, you're just that much more distracted, right? You didn't apply it now to driving. It makes perfect sense. Obviously, our problem with the cell phone is has moved itself from just being in our pocket to being in front of work and being in front of driving, and being front of our relationships. Our problem with the cell phone is I feel like very deep and psychological. Sadly, it is I feel like a dominant factor in how things are going for driving and especially now with, I feel like there is some excitement around autonomous cars and those kinds of things. Also, that's a whole another layer of driving that I feel like we're not even ready for, because sadly, you still have very distracted drivers. What is your opinion on perhaps, maybe – I know you talk about this in your book very beautifully. I can't wait for people to get out there and actually pick this thing up because I feel like everyone needs a refresh button every few years like about driving. Maybe it's a 30-minute course that you do on computer or whatever, but it's a mandate. That's just me thinking out loud, right? Because I just feel like we get all these tags and all these things for our car and maintenance or whatever, but let's be honest, I haven't sat in front of anything that taught me anything about driving since I got my permit. You know what I mean? Yeah, I've moved states where things are different – like driving, we don't think about it too much, because it's like once you've learned to steer and push the gas pedal, you think that's all there is to it, but there is so much to know. I'm eager to know like the steps that people can take to further prevent these incidents of driving. I mean, of course, the warnings are always there. What can we start doing to reduce the harm caused by such incidents?

[00:15:17] LC: Well, this is where, I'm guess, I'm going to have to say, I'm a speaker for all the defensive driver instructors out there. I actually would love to see this happen. I have mentioned this to my class, that if it was on the ballot, would you vote for it? I would like to implement that every driver doesn't matter of age, because there's no age limit. Take an update, defensive driving course. Now, I call it an update on the law. Now, this is my perspective. I will see someone come in a class setting such as mine, if you receive a citation. I'll see you come in my class for dismissal of a ticket, but after that, if you don't never get a ticket, and you never get – and I'm a different kinds of defensive driving instructor based on my book, I'm just going to be real. I'll see you in for a ticket. I'll see you for insurance purposes. The tickets, it can be every year, once a year, unless it's different and that's approved by the judge. I'll see you there for insurance purposes. That's every three years. I came up with this idea. Whoever hears me, and I really hope legislature, lobbyists. I would love to see this pass. I would like to see to everyone that has to renew their driver's license would take an update on law for a safety course. That's what I – that's about every nine years.

[00:16:50] HA: That's actually a good time, right? Just to get updates, because technology's changing literally everything minute of the day –

[00:16:57] LC: Changes all the time. Yes.

[00:16:59] HA: People may not know this, I worked in policy quite a bit, up in Portland, Oregon, like technology doesn't keep up with policy sometimes, or policy doesn't keep up with technology most of the time, right? But it is our responsibility to understand what the hell's going on, and how these things are actually impacting us. Perhaps if you knew how this can impact you and your life, on a level, especially between nine years, a lot can happen, right? People have kids, get married like a lot can happen –

[00:17:25] LC: Write a book.

[00:17:26] HA: I totally, agree. Exactly, write a book. I totally, agree with that. We need to have some – I don't know, reframe, update, refresh. Again, yes. It is annoying. It is something additional that we have to do. I feel like, this is your payment to society, man to make sure that we are all agreeing on the same things when we get on the road that we have our safety in mind, and of course, other people's safety in mind. I think that's obviously, for me at least, that's probably the most dominant thing on top of which we have a healthy culture around. This is obviously been your work for the last decade or so. Like in your opinion, when you approach the educating of students that come into your classroom to learn about these things. What would you say like the amount of people that actually ended up coming back? What would you say like the thing that they learned the most? Were like, you know what, this is the thing that's actually going to change my trajectory. Has anyone voiced that part of your work or class? Yeah. Tell me more about that.

[00:18:32] LC: If anyone would go to Funny Bones Defensive Driving on the website, funnyboneschools.com. When they go to Google and look at the reviews. I have a lot of reviews. I have read some of them, maybe most of them. I see that more impact of my class is the DWI list. Just before I end the class, I just want to hear their feedback. Most of the feedback I receive is I was so unaware that this can impact me. I am so unaware that I can go to jail for that, in my early 50s now, but if I've never received a ticket, never got in trouble. I would be one like, I've had this lady she came to class just the other day. She'd never received a ticket before. It was her first ticket. She's 70 years old. She informed me. She said “LaDonna, I have to admit. You have just opened my eyes. I carry medication in my purse. I had no idea that I can be affected and getting pulled over and go to jail.” After I break it down and the book just beautifully breaks things down that people don't realize, that I can get a DWI for that, driving while impaired. That's why I don't call it driving while intoxicated, because that word goes away with me. It's impairments. Liquid, that intoxicates you, drugs that makes you sleepy and the phone's example, they distract you. All those examples of impairments, because you are now not fully comprehensive of what's in front of you, because you have example again – oh, I need to address this call, or I am actually talking on the phone. Oh, my goodness. I've seen people put on makeup, too.

[00:20:32] HA: Even your response time, right? Just the fact that it could slow you, like I know, like drinking NyQuil can impact people so differently.

[00:20:41] LC: Yes.

[00:20:42] HA: Going out to go just get a burger in the middle of the night, while haven't just drank a bunch of NyQuil or something, can obviously – I mean, I just think about like your response time and reaction time in the moment of fear is really where things come together. I heard somewhere – I can't remember if it was a podcast or I read it some – I can't really remember. The point of that story was this person is driving through 60, 70 miles an hour on the freeway. Automatically, your fear senses are heightened. We may not know that, because we're comfortable with that level of heightened where our fear is, however, your reactions when you're sharp and actually really focused are really good. However, if it is impaired, if you are distracted, it is like cut into pieces. It's actually that fear is spiked even higher. Anything that happens, you either overreact, which is when people like overturn their wheels, or stomp their brakes, or those kinds of things that actually cause more damage. That spectrum of where you are in the fear-based stuff. Then how slowed down you are and your reactions. Of course, those are all ways to impair not only your vision, but your cognizant like awareness level. I think that's huge. Where do you see this going in the future? Like we start to implement things in a positive way, perhaps you start implementing policies that improve the way we see ourselves in driving and the privilege of driving these vehicles? Where do you see this going in the future? How do we further educate people to and maybe car manufacturers or policies to bus navigate this new world, especially with distractions?

[00:22:25] LC: I believe that Consequences and Compassion, it shows two sides. I'm showing what can happen, what to expect to happen. I'm bringing awareness of the things that we don't have any idea that did not know in the book. I just don't want to give out too much of the book. I'm so excited.

[00:22:44] HA: Oh, no that’s [inaudible 00:22:45] all the time.

[00:22:46] LC: Even though they’re probably like, “What she's talking about?” I know some people like, they fear, “Oh, the cop stopped me.” “Oh, it’s just a DWI.” Some of them think that way, but it's after the fact. That's where the lifestyle changes. I see that this is going to be an informative book where possibly, I pray and hope that and I'm speaking of Texas right now, not so much. I mean, I hope the other states come aboard, I hope to see Texas do this, that once this gets in the hands of the correct person that it does actually be given out to every new driver, so that they can see in this book, it's a list and it shows now it's going to show and make you think like, “Wow, I didn't know that I would have to go through something like this. I would have to deal with something like this.” I pray and hope that it makes a change. Right now we're doing, don't drink and drive, don't drink and drive, the billboards. Don't drink and drive. Okay. I'm starting to see, we're starting getting comfortable with that, but it's not making a change. I've felt like now, something needs to come out differently. How can I get attention to perhaps the ones that don't have it, not get it and the ones who do have it a DWI? How can I prevent you now from getting one another one down the line? So some of us have the money to think of it, oh, no biggie, but you look at a list this. I mean, the first guy that came in here to said he had five DWIs. He mentioned to me, he had five DWIs, Hussein, and he mentioned that, “I didn't even kill anybody.” He says, but looking at your list, I never looked at it like that. He also mentioned, he said, “By the time I finished paying for parole. I'm going to be paying out about $47,000.” That's just parole. I'm like, “Wow.”

[00:24:52] HA: That's two down payments on two houses.

[00:24:54] LC: Oh, you telling. That's more than somebody average people making a salary. That's what I hope it does make a change. I'm using my voice, because the dead can no longer talk, because if they could, they would. I'm using lines and the voice, because I know someone privacy, could you have not done it that night? Could you not done at that moment? Could you have thought to put that down or could you not just some simple situations like that. Then the ones who are living, I want to bring awareness to you. I want to bring awareness where I don't want to go down that pathway. If you're one to ever say, “Well, that'll never happen to me.” But we all have been guilty at some point in one of those three. Like I tell my class, if I don't hit you on about the drinking, if I don't get you on about the drugs and if I don't, then what will I possibly get you on? One of those three, will cover somebody or cover you in situations that you just like, wow. I would like this prevent, ain't going to be the whole world, but maybe it'd be one. I would like to see that the impact of that this book is another asset to the billboard signs and all over don't drink and drive. Just like a bottle, it protects itself. It'll tell you behind an example of a beer or anything. It'll tell you, don't operate machinery. They tried to cover it all, but we're still doing it. We're still picking up the phone. We're still being impaired on alcohol on getting behind the wheels on karaoke night or something. I mean something like that, or a party, a wedding or anything to that nature. We're still doing it. Now I would to bring to the world, a different perspective, a different way to say, “You know what? I'm going to be responsible. I'm going to make a change.” That's the … the compassion part of it. Besides showing the consequence, the compassion of the book is the ones who do have a DWI. They are still somebody in this society. Sad to say, they have done wrong, and they have to acknowledge, but I believe a lot of them have they show compassion. I think you can't save everybody. Some of them know, they're not going to change. I hope that they will when they see this book, because I don't think they are aware of what the law enforcement can do.

[00:27:38] HA: Yeah. It's a choice that we clearly need to make an stick with. I think the way I look at it, too. Future technologies actually can be really powerful. In that, just saying, for example, Lyft and Uber, right? I mean, again, not the greatest companies in the world, this and that, right? However, if you're out having to drink, take an Uber, take a Lyft, like at least in my mind right now, today in this world, right? This is something I know I can do. I know that – bro, just take an Uber. It's not necessary to not do that. I feel like, one, it supports your community, supports people. Two, it puts you out of harm's way in just text you just don't have to deal with any of that. It's like the $15, $20 ride is so much worth it at the end of the day, right? However, do not vomit in any of those, because I know those fees are crazy. Lastly, but yeah I feel like the future technology of things and how we can really for example, earn those kinds of points, where if you're not drink – like for example, if I don't have a ticket for five years, I should get points on Lyft and Uber and things like that, right? Because it's helping me recognize, I'm going to save up all these points, or whatever it may be, so that I can use them later in whatever circumstance I want to use them. Driving is one of those things that we need to incorporate and think about when it comes to technology. I feel like with people just knowledge, it's just the knowing of like, “Dude, I can go to jail for this.” It's just having a cup of pills, right? I can go to jail for that. People don't even know that, right? We don't know the law until we have to call a lawyer like we don't know. That's very powerful, because here you are, with all this knowledge and really honing it all in together for all of us to really digest in a very simple way through story, through experiences. I'm beyond grateful, having met with you and talk with you today. I know it's really brought my attention back to just thinking about my safety. For me, it's like, I want to come back home to my wife. I want to be able to call my mama and all those things at the end of the day. These things are important and getting in a car is dangerous. It's a dangerous thing that we do, but doing it with love and respect and appreciation and thinking about other people is a huge thing. I'm just grateful I got to meet with you and really share those experiences. Thank you for bringing that wisdom to the world. The book is called Consequences and Compassion: Lessons from the Front Lines of Drunk, Drugged, and Distracted Driving. Besides checking out the book, where can people find you by LaDonna?

[00:30:22] LC: Oh, I'm on LinkedIn. I'm on TikTok. Okay, young adults. I'm on TikTok. I'm on Instagram as far and the email that I don't mind giving out is lmclaude7@gmail.com. I would love to hear your stories. I will answer emails if even if there's a flood of emails coming. I know this book is going to bring conversation. I have an ear to hear and a big heart of love to give.

[00:31:01] HA: I love that. Thank you so much LaDonna for all the work that you do in our communities and the way that you support everyone. Again, very honored to have had you on the show. Have a fantastic rest of your day and congratulations on your book.

[00:31:12] LC: Thank you.

[00:31:14] HA: Thank you all so much for joining us for this episode of Author Hour. You can find Consequences and Compassion: Lessons from the Front Lines of Drunk, Drugged, and Distracted Driving right now on Amazon. For more Author Hour episodes, subscribe to this podcast on your favorite subscription service. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time. Same place, different author.