Name: Cassandra Cannon
From: New London, CT
Votes: 0
Creating
Safer Roadways
In
the time it takes to read this essay, at least one person will die in
a car accident. The accident may not involve a new driver, but
inexperienced teen drivers make up 11% of car crashes when only 7% of
the nation’s population is 15-19 year olds. These rates could be
dramatically decreased if drivers ed and if parents provide
them proper driving instruction.
To
increase education of young drivers and create safer roadways, all
states should require education courses before allowing licensure
testing. Currently, only 32 states require some form of driver
education, and nationwide adaptation would likely decrease the
300,000 teens from age 16-19 that are treated in emergency rooms
annually due to car accidents. Attending drivers ed courses
before earning my license was a huge eyeopener. Watching videos of
young adults talking about their injuries that altered the course of
their life, or hearing from friends and family of a loved one who
sadly didn’t survive a car accident, makes young drivers realize
that these horrific events can truly happen to anyone. Educating new
drivers about the risks and potentially fatal outcomes of driving
helps teenagers realize that operating a vehicle is no simple task.
Additionally, research shows young drivers that didn’t participate
in drivers ed classes are 75% more likely to receive a traffic
ticket and 24% more likely to get in serious accidents.
Often
with receiving your license, restrictions are placed on who and when
you can drive. In Connecticut, newly licensed drivers can drive their
siblings after six months and must wait one year before driving
friends. Many teens take these restrictions lightly without realizing
their impact on how safely they drive. Introducing passengers
constitutes more distractions including conversation, loud music,
eating, dancing, and potentially driving under the influence.
Additionally, Connecticut restricts new drivers from driving 11pm to
6am. This restriction is warranted, as 40% of teen crashes in 2017
occurred between 9pm and 6am. Although they may seem optional to
teens, state restrictions increase the safety of all drivers, and
parents must enforce these restrictions.
The
most critical way for teens to become safer drivers is to actually
practice driving. Parents must be extremely involved in practicing
driving skills with their children, especially to point out their
unsafe decisions. This includes driving during inclement weather and
driving on various types of roadways, so the new driver knows how to
react in different situations. Before a child receives their
learner’s permit, parents should be role models and practice safe
driving. If the parent speeds, fails to drive with both hands on the
wheel, uses their phone, or drives without wearing their seatbelt, it
is likely that their child will have the same bad habits.
Teaching
teens to drive should not be taken lightly. Informing new drivers of
the risks of driving and providing substantial driving practice will
drastically decrease the rate of teen crashes. Parents, teens, and
drivers ed instructors working together will create safer
drivers nationwide.
Work
Cited:
Drivers
Ed Staff. “Preparing to Become a New Driver: Which States Require
Drivers Ed?” DriversEd.com,
https://driversed.com/trending/which-states-require-drivers-ed.
“Distracted
Driving.” Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2019,
https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html.
University
of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen
Crashes, Tickets.” Study:
Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News
Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
13 Aug. 2015,
https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets
