Select Page

2025 Driver Education Round 2 – Staying Safe Behind the Wheel: A Teen Driver’s Perspective

Name: Catherine Rees
From: Athens, Ohio
Votes: 0

Staying Safe Behind the Wheel: A Teen Driver’s Perspective

Growing up in Morris Plains, New Jersey, I remember the excitement of getting my learner’s permit and, later, my license. Like many teens, I saw driving as a symbol of freedom, my ticket to independence. But moving to Athens, Ohio, for college and gaining a broader perspective on life and responsibility has made me realize that with that freedom comes a serious risk that too many young drivers, including my former self, underestimate. Teen driver safety isn’t just a personal concern it’s a public issue that affects families, communities, and the future of our roads. Education plays a vital role in shaping the choices teens make behind the wheel, and it’s our responsibility to ensure that safety is part of every teen’s driving story.

Teen driver safety matters because traffic crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for teenagers in the United States. Every year, thousands of lives are lost and many more are changed forever due to preventable collisions involving young drivers. When teens get behind the wheel, they not only assume responsibility for their own lives, but also for their passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers. That’s why driver’s education isn’t just about learning how to parallel park or make a three-point turn. It’s about developing lifelong habits that keep people safe.

In New Jersey, driver’s education is required by law. At my high school, it was built into the curriculum as a semester-long course during sophomore year. After that, if you wanted to get your driving permit at 16, you had to complete six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor. Then came the probationary license, what we so lovingly called our “red decals” phase. Until turning 18, we had to follow restrictions like no driving after 11:01 PM, no more than one passenger unless a parent or guardian was present, and absolutely no use of electronics, not even hands-free devices. At the time, it felt strict. Meanwhile, my friends from Ohio, where the requirements are more relaxed, were already driving with full privileges. While I was still on probation. Some of them had never even taken a formal driver’s ed class. They were surprised when I told them that in New Jersey, we needed those red stickers on our license plates to let police know we were probationary drivers.

Looking back, I’m thankful for those rules. They annoyed me when I was 17, sure, but now I understand their purpose. Those restrictions weren’t meant to punish us, they were meant to protect us while we learned to make responsible decisions behind the wheel. Without that structure, I don’t know if I would’ve taken driving as seriously. The difference between what I experienced in New Jersey and what some of my Ohio friends went through really shows how much driver’s education can shape behavior and awareness.

Teens face a unique set of challenges when they start driving. For starters, lack of experience is a huge factor. Even with all the classes and practice hours in the world, nothing compares to being alone on the road for the first time. Real driving involves split-second decisions, unexpected weather, and dealing with aggressive or distracted drivers. I still remember my first time driving in heavy rain. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly I thought my knuckles would burst. I was truly lucky that my mom was in the passenger seat to talk me through it, but many teens don’t have that kind of support.

Another major challenge is distraction especially from smartphones. Despite countless public service announcements and warnings, many teens still text, snap, or scroll while driving. I’ve seen it too often among my peers, even here at Ohio University. The scary part is that distracted driving doesn’t always feel dangerous until it is. There’s this illusion that we can multitask behind the wheel, but the science says otherwise. Taking your eyes off the road for even a few seconds can be deadly.

Peer pressure is another invisible force that can shape how teens drive. Some feel compelled to speed, take risks, or show off when they’re driving friends around. I knew a classmate back in high school who got into a crash because he tried to “drift” his car around a corner while his friends filmed him for social media. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but it was a wake-up call for our whole school.

One personal experience that really solidified my views on safe driving happened during my senior year. My friend Molly, one of the most cautious people I knew, got into a serious car accident on her way to school. She wasn’t speeding or distracted. What happened was that another teen driver, trying to beat a red light, crashed into her car at an intersection. Molly ended up in the hospital being paralyzed from the waist down and losing her soccer scholarship to High Point believing she was never going to be able to walk again. It was heartbreaking to see her in pain, especially knowing that the accident could have been prevented. That incident made me realize that safe driving isn’t just about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting everyone else, too.

So what can we do about this? First, teens need to take personal responsibility. That means putting the phone away, following the speed limit, and refusing to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It also means speaking up when you’re in the passenger seat and your friend is driving recklessly. It can be awkward, but it might save a life.

Schools can also play a stronger role. Driver’s ed should be mandatory in every high school, nationwide not just in a handful of states. It should include real-life simulations, testimonials from crash survivors, and lessons on emotional regulation and peer influence. In addition, schools could host annual safe driving awareness weeks, bring in guest speakers, and partner with local police departments to run safety workshops. Even here in Athens, I’ve met students who said they only practiced with a parent and then passed their road test. That’s not enough.

Communities can help by creating environments that promote safe driving. That includes better road signage, safer intersections near schools, and enforcement of teen driving curfews or passenger limits. Community centers can host driving safety events or competitions that reward positive driving behavior. Parents also play a crucial role by modeling good driving habits and having open conversations with their teens about safety.

Technology can help, too. More and more cars now come equipped with safety features like lane assist, automatic braking, and distracted driving detection. Apps like Life360 or built-in phone settings that silence notifications while driving can also help reduce distractions. But technology should support good habits not replace them.

At the end of the day, promoting teen driver safety isn’t just about rules and regulations, it’s about culture. We need to shift the way we think about driving. It shouldn’t be about how fast you can get somewhere or how cool you look with your friends in the car. It should be about responsibility, maturity, and respect for yourself, your passengers, and every person you share the road with.

As a college sophomore now navigating a new state and new roads, I still carry the lessons I learned back in Morris Plains. I’m grateful for New Jersey’s graduated license program and required driver’s ed. I may have started driving a little later than some of my Ohio friends, but I started with a stronger foundation. My hope is that every teen, no matter where they grow up, gets the tools they need to drive not just confidently, but safely.