Adolescent Driver Safety: A Public Health Priority

Teen driver safety is a that resonates with the community, families and policy makers. The statistics tell a grim story: motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and approximately one in three deaths among 13- to 19-year-olds are the result of these crashes. This grisly reality underscores the urgent need to protect young drivers. Key weapons in this fight are comprehensive drivers’ education. Such a module would equip young people with knowledge of the law and skills to use the road safely. Driver’s education classes provide a foundation for new drivers: They are not simply about basics and passing the road test. These are educative courses that impart essential driving skills to keep people safe on the road, including ideas about legislation assisting driving and other values indicating safe driving. They urge teens to consider the dangers of distracted driving, the impact of peer pressure and the importance of defensive driving. Driver’s ed can help reduce the dangers from young motorists, by teaching them safety and responsibility. But today’s young drivers face a host of challenges. Distraction in general, and the misuse of smartphones specifically, is an issue. Texting and other social media can distract a driver from paying attention to the road, posing a danger to others. It can also encourage risky behaviour like speeding and drinking and driving, which is usually due to peer pressure. Another major concern is lack of experience; the sad truth is that most teens simply haven’t had a lot of different driving experiences and could be unprepared for the unexpected. To overcome these dilemmas, adolescents need to practice self-control and learn to give preference to safety rather than reputation.

Encourage Healthy and Open Family Conversations Parents and Teens who discuss the dangers of distracted driving and making safe driving choices, contribute to creating a culture of safe driving. Having such discussions can also help buttress the idea that it’s still best to keep safety as a priority, even if some of their buddies aren’t necessarily taking that stance.

When I finally earned the ability to drive, I was all cool family sedan at the wheel, non boy-racer-y, although I could appreciate the thrill of auto-powered freedom even as my heart broke when a friend lost her driving privileges following a highway accident, a high school rite of passage. My friend had experienced a near accident due to texting her back. Fortunately, Air Trooper Tabari and his passengers escaped serious injury, but it was a wake-up call for our club. It was an illuminating reminder of how quickly things can break bad, and how easily you can lose sight of the road in any high-stakes pursuit. This experience truly cinched for me that “good driving” is not merely about taking personal responsibility — it’s about caring for everyone on the road.

All individuals, schools and communities have several opportunities to proactively promote safe teen driving. One involves teens signing a pact agreeing to their own driving rules, such as never using a phone while driving, limiting the number of passengers and not speeding. Real life scenarios are where drivers schools can improve the most, by including your average street scenarios that people can relate to, then drivers will have a better understanding of what to do if this situation occurs. Some community-level initiatives (eg, public service announcements, workshops) that can be implemented to keep raising awareness among teenagers and parents with regard to driving safety are applicable. Moreover, collaborating with local police can helps to host save driving events that may serve as successful opportunities to promote this safe driving behaviour to younger drivers. These efforts aim to contribute to creating a culture that encourages safe driving.

In sum, teen driver safety is a public health epidemic that requires a full balance. Driver’s education programs, industry experts say, must do more than teach students the rules of the road they must engage in peer-to-peer conversations about the importance of safe driving. They will be affected by hearing actual stories of crashes and the results of poor decisions, and listen in the presence of supportive adults who are willing to discuss safe driving openly.

Together — teens, schools, communities — we can do so much to prevent death and to make our streets safer for all. We Need to Focus on Keeping Our Teen Drivers Safe For our kids and for everyone. We can build a culture of responsible driving and, ultimately, save lives through education, open dialogue and supporting one another.