The True Weight of Driving

In August of 2021, I became a statistic. Just two months after passing my driver’s test, I started my junior year of high school and could not wait to drive myself to school. No more Metro Bus: I had earned my own place on the road. Driving fast and blaring music, I missed my exit and had to get off the highway at an unfamiliar part of town. I tried to reenter the highway, but, overly confident, I missed a stop sign and collided with another car. At first, I felt nothing but confusion. Then, slowly at first, a wave of shame came over me. Soon, this tide turned into crashing waves of shock, devastation, and embarrassment as I realized what happened. I could not believe my carelessness. A missed stop sign turned into two totaled cars and a probationary driver’s license. I was disgusted with myself. From that moment, I vowed to carry the weight of my vehicle, all 3,124 pounds, on my conscience any time I drove. 

While my situation was horrible, it was not unique. The National Institute of Health states that “[t]eenage drivers are eight times more likely to be involved in a collision or near miss during the first three months after getting a driver’s license.”  I believe many new drivers carry the same attitude I did, feeling justified in my speed and carelessness under the impression I had earned the right to drive. While legally I had been granted the right, I still had so much nuance to learn and experience to gain. Here lies the necessity of driver education. 

As a result of my recklessness, in addition to my probationary license, I had to take a remedial driver’s course. While many of the topics covered echoed what I had learned while obtaining my learning permit, this time I had an entirely new perspective. Driver education courses, introductory or remedial, are necessary to educate drivers on the importance of following rules and guidelines of the road. An educated driver is a safe driver. I believe the cause of teen driver related deaths is not the lack of information, but rather the attitude of teenagers when being instructed. Information about the rules of the road and driver’s safety became much more powerful after experiencing the detrimental and dangerous effects of not following these guidelines. Looking back, I find it so disheartening that it took a car accident to realize the totality of my actions and the importance of cautiousness on the road. However, this phenomenon is pervasive throughout my generation and all new drivers, as evidenced by the NIH’s findings. 

Thus, I believe the most important step we can take to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving is emphasizing the weight of being a driver. Until my accident, I thought of my car as simply a way to move around. Now, I realize that, when I am driving, I am moving one and a half tons at speeds faster than any land animal. What seems like a birthright to many teens is actually a privilege and can be incredibly dangerous, as shown by my situation and the graph titled “Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths and Deaths Per 100,000 People, 1975-2021.” Negligence of responsibility and an attitude of overconfident carelessness are the biggest causes of death on the road. It is important that we instill this idea in the minds of new drivers to reduce the likelihood of inattention on the road.  With the correct attitude, the driver education courses offered by DMVEdu.org and other similar organizations can become much more powerful and effective. 

In order to achieve this, we could offer courses to parents on how to talk to their kids about driving. In these courses, instructors could cover topics to emphasize to their child, such as seatbelt safety. While these topics are likely included in teen drivers education courses, the information may be more impactful coming from a trusted parent or guardian. Additionally, we could petition to add a fourth step to the traditionally three step Graduated Driver’s Licensing system, which seeks to slowly introduce new drivers to the road. Adding a fourth step, perhaps another level to the intermediate license stage, could further emphasize the importance of regarding the road with respect. Another change to the Graduated Driver’s Licensing system that could prevent a carefree attitude among young drivers is requiring more education throughout the steps of the system. As it stands now, most states only require driver education in the first stage, while new drivers have their learner’s permit. I propose that after one receives their intermediate license, continuing the driver education process is required. In these courses, instructors could further focus on the importance of safety by showing graphics such as the “Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths and Deaths Per 100,000 People, 1975-2021” graph. With these additional measures in place, teens will have access to more driver education and will take the severity of the road more seriously.

Furthermore, resources that show teens the physical impacts of their car’s force may be especially effective. Graphics or online sites that visually demonstrate a car’s weight and subsequent impact force may instill respect for the power of their vehicle, encouraging them to act wisely. An online site, “Car Crash Calculator,” takes weight and speed as input and returns the crash force. For example, entering a bodyweight of 160 pounds, driving 60 miles per hour, without a seatbelt results in a crash force of nearly 150,000 pounds-force. Car manufacturers could also include stickers within the windshield that display the weight of a vehicle, similar to oil change reminder stickers. This constant visual reminder will further encourage young drivers to understand the force of the vehicle they are driving. Resources that show and emphasize the real-life impact of crashing a car resulting from reckless driving are more effective in reducing risky driving by correcting the assumption that driving is easy, safe, and unimportant.

In conclusion, the true epidemic among teenage drivers is a nonchalant and overconfident attitude. As new drivers, we often feel like we belong on and understand the road, a belief that is simply wrong. I was guilty of this, a shame I carry with me to this day. However, I have made the commitment, as I encourage other drivers to make, to carry the weight of my vehicle with me. The force and power of my vehicle is something I will never forget or take lightly. There are many routes we can take to encourage safer driving among teens, including access to more driver education and understanding of physical impacts. Through these efforts, we can make teens understand the weight of their actions.