Why is Driving So Hard?

We live in a society riddled with change. Driving can serve as a potent outlet for the desires of many teens who are looking for independence. However, teens are at the highest risk of car accidents, especially once they become authorized to drive by themselves or with friends. Distractions and peer pressure are notable factors that can lead to driving accidents, but they are avoidable with a change of mindset.

Teen driver safety is an important public issue because it directly impacts the well-being of young drivers and the broader community. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), car accidents are a leading cause of death among teenagers, and their consequences extend beyond the immediate victims to families, friends, and society at large. Driver’s education plays a crucial role in addressing this issue by equipping teens with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the roads safely. Comprehensive driver’s education programs address the importance of safe driving habits, the dangers of distractions, and the impact of peer pressure. Ideally, they also encourage teenagers to drive safely and avoid risks that would put them in greater danger. I completed such a program prior to taking a driving test recently, and I can attest that the knowledge I acquired from the driver’s education program prepared me not only to pass the test but also to remind myself of the consequences of unsafe driving.

The biggest challenges teen drivers face today are distractions and peer pressure, as well as peer leniency. Teens today live in an age where it is very easy to be distracted while driving a car. Cell phones are a major source of distraction. I remember while riding in the passenger seat in my friend’s car, he nearly hit the vehicle in front of him which braked suddenly. Because he was texting while driving, we almost got into an accident on a major road. A poll by SlickText found that 43% of teens text while driving despite understanding the potential danger. At school, teachers drone about car safety topics, and the permit-to-license process requires teens to take driver’s education programs. Some teenagers might find the driver’s education class and programs boring, but like how earworms in commercials appeal to the public to purchase the brand’s products, feeding teenagers the importance of driving safety from multiple sources increases the knowledge retention rate. Texting while driving is dangerous because teens underestimate the duration they take their eyes off the road. A quick look at a text might seem incidental, but the teenager’s automobile may have traveled farther than they had expected. If the car in front of them were to suddenly press their brakes in that span, would they be able to react? Most likely not while they are looking at their phones.

Peer pressure is also a factor in reckless teen driving. According to the CDC, the crash risk of a teenager driving increases for every other adolescent in their car. It is often easier to make safe decisions alone, as drivers can avoid the judgment of others around them. However, this becomes more difficult with rowdy passengers who might pester the driver for obeying the speed limit or avoiding a right turn on red. More crucially, a driver could be distracted by the adolescents in their car, reducing their attention on the road. Despite what some say, humans are unable to multitask, and trying to juggle a discussion and drive at the same time means flipping back and forth between the two tasks. Once, I took a ride home with some friends from school. Because the driver lost herself in conversation at a red light, she eased off the brake pedal and caused the car to roll forward. She subsequently pressed the brake to prevent her car from ending up too far into the middle of the intersection. We were all talking in the car, which made it harder for her to concentrate, especially since she was very eager to engage in the conversation. Peer pressure serves as a distraction, whether it comes in the form of disobeying road laws or not paying attention.

Safety should start with teens. As a teenager myself, I have learned that teens will often excuse one another’s actions so long as they do not cause any perceived harm to others. Yet this idea of perception being the differentiating factor besets so much danger. What delineates the difference between swerving to barely miss hitting another car and swiping the doors of the vehicle? Rather than continuing to hammer down on basic driving rules, more awareness should be directed towards the mindset of teenagers. Often, driving over the speed limit or frequent lane shifting might be excused in the name of reaching a destination faster—the maxim of “the ends justify the means.” Yet it cannot be understated that these brief and trifling choices have negative impacts on other drivers who are forced to either move out of the way or put themselves at risk of a collision. The use of phones while driving can severely reduce the young drivers’ focus on the road, and having passengers can change the behaviors of the drivers. To fix the current problems, solutions must focus on teens.

It is especially crucial that high school and driver’s education programs emphasize the importance of distractions and peer pressure to calibrate the mindset of young drivers. Solid teaching is the best path towards convincing teens to commit to avoiding distractions, such as putting their phones away while driving and setting clear boundaries with passengers. Those driver’s education programs can be enhanced by incorporating real-life scenarios and testimonials from accident survivors to make the students learn the consequences of unsafe driving. These survivors are ordinary teenagers, and a tragic accident could happen to anyone. Communities can support these efforts by organizing awareness campaigns and providing resources for safe driving practices.

Our world is in a state of continuous changes. Automakers have touted the potential advances of self-driving technology, which could make driving obsolete. For now, we must continue making improvements to automobiles for safer and more comfortable driving experiences, such as automatic braking systems, lane-keeping assist, and rear-view backup cameras. Additionally, we should ensure to teach the skills necessary for drivers to keep our roads safe. Driving is one of the most dangerous parts of anyone’s day, with over 16 thousand car accidents per day in the United States. Teen driver safety is paramount to the public; educating teenagers about the distractions and peer pressure while driving must be prioritized above all else. By giving adolescents necessary education, we can work towards safer roads that keep everyone at lower risk.