Teen Driver Distractions and Safety Measures

It is shocking to read that driving is more dangerous than being in combat; this is a horrifying fact. Car accidents affect families and communities in a devastating way. There are numerous reasons why driving has become more dangerous than it used to be. To begin with, there are more drivers on the road in comparison to 50 years ago. Drivers are severely distracted by phones (calling and texting), music (for example Apple Play), social media, navigation systems, as well as mental health. Today’s society lends itself to everything being instant. If a phone rings or there’s an alert regarding a text or a social media post, today’s teens feel like they MUST see what that alert is about. CHanging music is more difficult these days with systems like Apple CarPlay, where you have hundreds of choices to choose from, as opposed to 6 radio stations like in the past. There is constantly a rise in the number of people who are diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, which can affect driving. If you are not diagnosed with ADHD, like I am, I can share with you that it is easy to zone out, which is hazardous and very risky as a driver. Another distraction is that people tend to be over-scheduled, causing them to be in a rush. There are so many factors that shape driving as being dangerous and all drivers, not just teenagers, need to be prepared to drive safely.

Getting your license as a teenager is exciting but also scary. One day you are a kid, relying on your parents to drive you around, and the next day you are supposed to act like an adult, driving a two ton piece of machinery. Once you have your license, your friends constantly ask you for rides. While it all seems like fun and games, I have seen, first hand, a driver become distracted and come close to an accident. Teenagers have a hard time telling friends, “I have to follow the rules,” “I can’t have too many people in the car, “ “My parents said I can’t blast the music…”. As a new driver, peer pressure is real.

Since I began practicing driving, my parents have constantly reinforced one rule: worry about everyone else on the road: predict their movements in order to stay safe. Maybe another driver cuts you off, maybe another driver blows through a red light, maybe another driver is distracted. You need to be aware of others’ actions as much as possible and have the foresight to predict what they might do. Being an experienced driver is the best way to stay safe, but it takes time to become that experienced driver.

I believe two things can be done to help teen drivers. Every school should have a driving simulator on which kids can practice driving in various situations. Although they are costly, they provide students with endless hours of practice. For example, my friend attends a local private school and she is allowed to practice on the simulator as much as she would like. This is a huge advantage over teen drivers who are not afforded the same opportunity. Local police officers should also be monitoring all drivers more effectively. For example, in my town, teen drivers are known to speed near elementary schools as they leave high school on a daily basis. Although parents call the police department to report it, little or nothing is done about the situation. Perhaps speed traps and more rigid rules need to go into effect in order to help keep all drivers and pedestrians safe. On my street, people are always walking dogs, walking with little kids and strollers, or just walking for exercise. Cars speed past them on a daily basis and we always say, “Nothing will change until someone gets hurt or dies!” Why does this need to be the case? Everyone’s safety, both driver and pedestrian, should be paramount. As a community, more needs to be done to keep all parties safe.

As a society, it is important for schools, police departments, parents, and teen drivers to work together to ensure everyone’s safety. Students need more practice to become more defensive drivers, which could be done through a simulator. Teenagers need to see how dangerous driving can be as a wake up call, rather than thinking it is just all fun and games. Parents need to educate their teens and hold them accountable in regards to the rules of the road, as well as driver safety. If we all work together, we can try to prevent so many accidents and senseless deaths from happening.