Name: Trevor J. Wahl
From: San Diego, CA
Votes: 0
Teen
Driver Training and Awareness
Every
year we get new teenage drivers on our roads. The threat and risks
of them being involved in a car accident are enormous. In fact, 16
year old drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident than
any other age according to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Why
is that?
There
are maturity factors involved that are difficult to compare from
person to person. Hopefully, parents are not allowing their teens to
drive until they feel their child is mature enough to handle the
tremendous responsibility. I know my parents did not allow me to get
my license until I was 17 and could show that I could handle the
responsibility. Unfortunately, this leaves the decision up to each
parent. There is no way to test for maturity so hopefully, they
choose wisely.
There
is a way we can help parents make that choice. We can also help
teens understand the responsibility they are undertaking and help
them decide if they are ready. We can make it state law each parent
and teen attends a teen driver safety awareness class. We can make
the requirement the responsibility of each high school to administer.
That way, the costs are not carried on to the parents who may have
financial challenges. Also, the schools know their students and can
insure they complete the training before they get their license.
My
current school, Cathedral Catholic High School, offers a class that
is put on by the California Highway Patrol. It is mandatory if you
want to park at the school. The class covers speed factors,
distracted driving, drugs and alcohol, sleep deprivation, and the
importance of wearing seat belts. It culminates in having a car left
at the campus that was involved in a DUI accident. It is bone
chilling to know someone was inside of the vehicle.
I
want to add to this class a component that requires the parents to
attend and be involved. I believe if they have the chance to see and
hear the facts they will be better able to understand if their son or
daughter is ready to take on the responsibility. Further, there are
applications out there that help track the location and speed of your
child while they drive. My parents have this app for me. The times
that I have driven too fast, I am met with a phone call or text
demanding better attention. I know the reminder helps keep me in
line.
