Mindfulness On The Road

When high school starts and adolescents become more independent, they begin to drive to school, work, and extracurricular activities. During this period of life, as puberty and the development of the limbic system come in full force, so does risky behavior behind the wheel. Teenagers only make up a small percentage of the demographic of drivers in the United States (roughly 3.7 percent as of 2024, according to Consumer Affairs). Despite this, they also make up 9.1 percent of all motor vehicle crashes, 6.1 percent of them being fatal (Teen Driving Statistics 2025 | ConsumerAffairs®, 2024). To solve the problem at its roots and reduce the number of accidents and fatalities, increased accessibility to driver’s education can help to develop more conscious driving practices amongst teens and adults alike.

During adolescence, teenagers go through the notorious period of puberty, and while the body changes during this time, so does the brain. As mentioned earlier, the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions and motivation, develops much quicker than the frontal lobe during puberty. In simpler terms, teenagers are more prone to act on initial feelings rather than thoughts. Consequently, without proper training and prior knowledge, teenage drivers may engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel. Some of these behaviors can be influenced by peer pressure, which often stems from the need to be accepted by their peers. Others, like distracted driving, make up another percentage of car accidents amongst teenagers. “Seven percent of people killed in distraction-affected traffic crashes [as a collective] in 2023 were teens 15 to 19 years old. Nine percent of all teen fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 were in distraction-affected crashes.” (NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis Distracted Driving in 2023, April 2025)

From a psychological standpoint, some teenagers may have difficulty with logical decision-making due to the effects of puberty. However, driver’s education can help adolescents make more logical decisions before driving.

Some repercussions that come with driving are the initial fact that even if a driver is adhering to all traffic laws and safety standards, another driver may not be doing the same. As someone who is currently taking driving lessons, a source of my anxiety when on the main road comes from wondering if the other drivers around me will put anyone in danger. Some of my friends have gotten into accidents where they weren’t at fault. Reflecting on this raises the alarm of how much worse these accidents could have been if either driver had been distracted.

While most individuals get their driving experience from parents or other adults, driver’s education provides more concrete information regarding traffic laws and different techniques on the main road. Some states may require students to have some form of experience from either parents or driver’s education before getting a license under the age of 18. To make driver’s education more accessible to students who may not be able to afford courses, public schools could include it as part of their required courses and offer them during or after school hours. This could be a course that prepares for the written exam; it could be structured like an SAT prep or AP course. Schools can host assemblies or events dedicated to safe driving among adolescents with topics such as DUI, distracted driving, and safe driving practices. The school I went to did not have driver’s education as part of its curriculum; however, they did have college fairs, and one of the vendors that often came provided scholarships for students to enroll in their driver’s education program. Incentives and other awards, such as college scholarships, could be offered in return for completing a driver’s education course.

Parents and guardians can also play an important role in ensuring their teenagers’ safety by using location apps with crash detection and setting up curfews for younger adolescents to avoid driving at night. In doing so, it is always important to also consider the teenager’s autonomy. Both parties should agree on a time when the teen driver should return home and set basic safety rules regarding state traffic laws. Letting adolescents spread their wings and drive on the main road can be scary for the first time, but proper preparation and training will not only give peace of mind but also reduce the rate of accidents involving teens and young adults across the country. Whether a teen or an adult, being mindful on the road ensures the safety of both the driver and other surrounding drivers. Consider how your safety and others may be affected before making risky decisions.