The Silent Killer: Teen Driving is just as dangerous as Mental Health

The CDC states that 1 in 11 teenagers will attempt suicide during their high school years. 1 in 11. That’s not a small number. Imagine 11 teenagers—maybe your friends, your children, or even family members. Picture them together. Out of those 11, one will attempt suicide, and that person may die. That’s terrifying. It’s hard not to feel a sense of dread. You want to protect that one person, to make sure they aren’t the statistic. 1 in 11.

But let me ask you something: Do you know what the number is for teenagers who will end up in a car accident? It’s not 1 in 11. It’s 1 in 5. 1 in 5. That’s even worse. And yet, despite knowing this, we still hand over the keys. We let teenagers drive, often with nothing more than a brief reminder to “be careful” or “don’t drive too fast.”

I watch people stress over suicide. I see mental health discussed openly, taught in schools, with resources like hotlines and websites available. We are told to speak up if we’re struggling, to ask for help, and that it’s okay to not be okay. But when was the last time we discussed teen driving with the same urgency? When was the last time we taught young people how to protect themselves from the dangers of the road the same way we teach them to protect their mental health?

Teen driving is a life-or-death matter, just like mental health, yet it gets a fraction of the attention. It’s time for that to change.

The solution starts with kids—the next generation of drivers. We can’t change how current drivers behave, as habits are hard to break. But we can teach kids to drive safely, and that responsibility lies with us. The government can’t regulate every driver every second of the day. As much as we might want them to, they simply can’t. The responsibility falls on parents. They must enforce the rules of the road, set clear consequences for misbehavior, and instill good driving habits early on.

We need to shift our mindset and treat driving as a privilege, not just a convenience. Parents can reinforce safe habits, practice real-world scenarios, and ensure their kids are prepared for the split-second decisions they will need to make. But it’s not just about education—it’s about holding kids accountable. If a teen gets into an accident or breaks the rules, they should lose the privilege of driving.

It might cause tension, but that’s the point. The lesson is clear: driving is a privilege, and breaking the rules has consequences. Teens will learn to respect that, because they want to drive. And when they lose that privilege, they will want to earn it back by following the rules.

The government and education system also need to step up. Why do we allow kids to retake their driver’s exam over and over until they pass? I know someone who took the test seven times. Seven! And she still has a license. That tells me she didn’t learn the laws, and she certainly didn’t understand the responsibility that comes with driving.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed, but it may take time to change the licensing process. In the meantime, schools can implement better driver education. We need to talk about safe driving the same way we talk about suicide prevention. We should have posters up in classrooms, and these issues should be discussed in health classes. Safe driving needs to be prioritized, because when kids understand the importance of following the rules, they understand why those rules exist—to protect lives.

We need to help teens understand why these rules exist. It’s not enough to memorize them to pass the test—we need to ensure they grasp the gravity of their actions. Take speed, for example. A pedestrian steps into the road. If you’re driving 45 mph, it will take you 75 feet to stop. But if you’re driving just 5 mph slower—40 mph—it will only take you 60 feet. That 5 mph difference could be the difference between stopping in time to avoid a tragedy or causing a fatal accident.

When teens understand that every decision behind the wheel matters—whether it’s speeding, texting, or running a red light—they’ll think twice. Suddenly, that extra 5 mph doesn’t feel like a small rebellion; it becomes a deadly choice. If a young driver understands that even a small increase in speed can change the outcome of a situation, it helps them grasp the real risks of unsafe driving.

This is why education is crucial. It’s not enough to simply teach kids how to drive; we need to teach them why driving safely matters. Every decision they make on the road—whether it’s speeding, texting, or tailgating—can have life-or-death consequences. The sooner we can make safe driving lessons a core part of driver’s education, the sooner we’ll have a generation of drivers who don’t just follow the rules—they live by them.

We talk about mental health openly, but when it comes to teen driving, we don’t give it the same level of attention, even though both are life-or-death issues. Teenagers are just as likely to be involved in a car accident as to struggle with mental health challenges. Yet we don’t treat driving safety with the same seriousness, and that needs to change.

It’s time for us to teach young people the full weight of the responsibility that comes with driving. We need to instill in them a deep understanding of why the rules exist and how following them can save lives—not just their own, but the lives of others on the road. Whether it’s through better education, stronger parental guidance, or a reformed licensing system, we must act now to protect our kids. Their safety—and the safety of everyone on the road—depends on it.