The Problem with Teen Driving

When I first got my learning permit, I hated driving with my dad. I could not drive correctly no matter what I did. “You’re too close to them.” “You’re going too slow.” Look both ways even if it’s green.” “take that turn slower.” “Get closer to the right of your lane.” I was so angry because there was always something that I wasn’t doing right and he was overly anxious about my driving.

I thought this would get better after I got my license. But, it did not. He wanted me to drive with another adult in the car for at least six more months. I had gotten my license and proven myself but he still did not want me to drive. We got into the biggest argument. When I asked him why he did not want me to drive by myself even with my license, he said: “You do not understand. You’ve never had to pull a dead sixteen year old out of their car.” My father has been a police officer for over twenty five years. He tells me about how when I was a kid, he had to respond to a car crash where a sixteen year old wasn’t paying attention and someone ran the red light. The teenager was killed upon impact. Although my dad relented and I was driving in my own car by myself within a month, I think about that story every time I get in my car.

How do we keep teens hyperventilate when driving? The older generation would say “take away their phones.” But, that can make a drive even more boring leading the teen’s mind to wander. Instead, with phones I would employ my method of putting on a podcast or playlist and do not touch it until you are in park. You might think that this is a no-brainer but lots of teens do not employ this simple tactic that would prevent distraction. If you have an active imagination like me, then maybe while driving you should use a tactic that my mom taught me. She says to pretend that you are on a radio show and to announce everything that is happening around you and everything you are doing before you do it. These tactics can help keep the teen involved with their driving.

Do the videos we have to watch during driver’s education help safe driving? There is a video in driver’s education that terrified me into never picking up my phone while driving. A nineteen year old boy picked up his phone to text his mom while driving and hit another teen, killing her upon impact – he was given five years jail time. I think this video was effective but I did my driver’s education online. What about the teens that are turning down the volume and not paying attention to the videos? I think we should make driver education move back to schools. That way it can be ensured that students are watching the videos and paying attention.

But, what is the root of reckless driving with teens? Culture. My favorite show as a preteen was Full House. Every 90s/2000s kid knows the episode where Stephanie is prevented by her sister from getting in the car with her friends which keeps her from being badly injured in a car accident. Plots like this can bring awareness to the adolescent viewers. As someone going into the film industry, it is important that T.V. Shows and movies preach messages that will lead to safe, responsible driving. The culture of it being cool to stay alive and drive safely needs to be made and I think Hollywood is the most effective way to create that. Additionally, I think that local law enforcement should make a greater effort to pull over and ticket teens who are riding with more than one passenger in the vehicle. We have all seen the big truck with five football guys squished together with the driver swerving back and forth to look cool to the other passengers. I think that we have a culture issue with safe driving and it is most apparent among teen drivers with extra friends in the car.

Safe driving is an important thing in our society and it can be achieved. The root of the issue is a culture of reckless driving being cool but the solutions are removing distractions like phones, friends, and creating more films centered on safe driving or the dangers of reckless driving.