Teens, speak up!

I sat in the passenger seat of the car, gripping the door as my friend sped through the speed bumps in my neighborhood, her Mini Cooper practically in the air. I didn’t speak up. Because of my age, I couldn’t get my license until late into senior year. My parents worked early, leaving my only option: a reckless driver. Many teens can’t get their license or a car, leaving them dependent on their peers for rides. If that driver is reckless, everyone is at risk.

Reckless driving isn’t inevitable, however. Teens commonly complete unmonitored online driver’s ed courses by playing videos in the background or looking up answers, defeating the purpose of this tool. These courses should be more regulated, ensuring that learners complete exams honestly and retain information. Requiring in-person testing, a second written test before your license, or online proctoring are all ways to reduce this issue.

A major challenge teens face is the stigma around “safety”. Calling out unsafe behavior often leads to being labeled “boring”, discouraging teens, including me, from advocating for themselves. Teens frequently resist what adults recommend. Therefore, being educated by their peers may be most effective form of prevention. However, for this to succeed, the negative stigma behind speaking up against unsafe habits needs to be broken. Solutions may include using teens in driver safety campaigns, social media influencers, and student presentations on safe driving in school. These options encourage teens to initiate open conversations about driver safety. Hearing this from friends reduces the fear of judgement when speaking on these topics outside of school.

Parents play a huge role in the education on safe driving. At this age, teens may rebel, often leading to unsafe situations. Teens should feel comfortable calling their parents in unsafe situations without the fear of punishment. Countless times, teens will go out drinking with friends and end up without a fit driver. Afraid of their parents’ reactions, most will get in the back seat knowing the risks. “I’m a good driver when I’m drunk, don’t worry,” is a phrase I’ve heard way too often. Parents creating a judgment-free space can save lives. And again, challenging the stigma around safety can be beneficial in situations like this. It creates a comfortable environment where everyone involved can create safe solutions, even if someone feels uncomfortable contacting their parents.

In addition to emotional support, parents must set an example of safe driving habits. Teens are still shaped by their parents’ behaviors. Therefore, parents’ driving habits influence the habits teens may start with. For example, my dad scrolls through social media while driving very often. I occasionally point it out, always receiving the response, “I’m an experienced driver so it’s okay”. Since I never saw these actions result in consequences, I assumed experience justified it. This mentality began to show through my driving habits after a year of driving, thinking I was “experienced enough”. It wasn’t until I encountered a near miss that I realized skill does not justify unsafe habits. It should not take a close call, or many times an accident, to learn.

A large cause of these accidents is distractions. Especially with short form media on the rise, attention spans are shrinking, causing driving to feel dull, increasing temptation towards more stimulating activities. However, after my near accident, I realized I needed to find a new solution. To help with focus, many teens listen to music or use distraction blocking apps. These toold block certain apps or notifications while driving and should be more widely advertised. Since many teens won’t install these apps themselves, they can be enforced and monitored by parents to ensure focus on the road. The more teens that have these apps, the more normalized they will become, and the safer the roads will be.

Accidents are often the turning point in people’s views on driver safety. Inexperienced teens have most likely not experienced this wake-up call. Ideally, drivers understand the risks of disobeying these rules without firsthand experience, but too often that understanding comes after a near miss or crash. This is why supervised practice hour laws must be enforced. I had my permit for a little over a year and had maybe 8 hours of cumulative practice when I got my license. Yet, after looping around the DMV I was legally allowed to drive across the state. Parents can help significantly by taking time to drive with their teens and treat every drive as a learning opportunity. Although I didn’t have practical driving experience, every time I was in the passenger seat my dad would make me turn off my phone and pay attention as if I were the one driving. I would check the blind spots when he switched lanes, read signs, and he would explain every move. During that year, my dad would explain things that went wrong and how to handle it next time. This way I learned solutions to many different situations I probably wouldn’t have known if I encountered them alone. This tactic can be very useful for families that either don’t have time or are scared to drive with their teens.

Unfortunately, many teens still view driver safety campaigns as just another thing their parents want them to do. The march towards change begins when young drivers start to speak up for themselves and others. The more teens advocate for their safety the more comfortable teens will feel following their example. Perceptions of driver safety campaigns will shift from just a lecture to a meaningful message they want to spread themselves. Parental example and regulation are also a big part of teen driver safety because, at the end of the day, they are still children. What starts as strict rules inevitably become the lessons adults look back on and appreciate.