Promoting Safe driving

Teen driver safety is important because it is one of the most pressing issues today. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of deaths for teens in the United States. Each year thousands of families’ lives are changed by a collision that could have been prevented by awareness and better habits. As teens are beginning to drive, they are gaining independence and taking on a big responsibility for their own lives, passengers, and everyone else on the road. That’s why driver’s education plays such an important role in addressing this issue. It goes beyond teaching teens how to drive, it instills the values of patience and safety that are essentials for drivers.

Drivers education provides a foundation of knowledge a lot of teen drivers should have access to. It teaches the rules of the road, but more importantly helps students understand why those rules exist. Many programs include simulations of dangerous situations that they could learn from to prevent it from happening and preparing teens for the unexpected. Through both classroom learning and hands-on training, driver’s education builds confidence, sharpens decision making skills, and creates habits that can last a lifetime.

Teen drivers face a set of challenges that could put themselves and others at risk. One of the most dangerous distractions is phones. Texting while driving, using social media or even being on a phone call can be grounds for a fatal crash. Peer pressure is another major factor. When teens’ friends are in the car they tend to speed, take unnecessary risks and play music louder than they usually would in an attempt to show off. They also face not knowing what to do in certain situations like deer crossing and icy roads.

Overcoming these challenges starts with awareness and support. Teens need to be taught not just what to avoid but why these behaviors are dangerous. Parents and teachers can help by reinforcing safety habits early and often. For example limiting passengers when first starting off driving, and encouraging teens to put their phones away and put it on do not disturb. Teens holding each other accountable also create a culture of safety.

I witnessed first hand the importance of safety, when I was in the car with my friend and she almost missed her exit so she decided to swerve over into the exit lane almost hitting a car. It was very nerve wrecking because that could have been a serious accident. Thankfully we were safe but it had to hold her accountable for that and tell she could have just found another exit to get off of. Another time I witnessed the importance of safety was when my cousin got into a car crash and broke her collar bone all because she was speeding. These stories are reminders to practice safe driving and not do things that could put lives at risk.

To make teen driving safer, action needs to be taken at multiple levels. Teens can start by following the speed limit, avoid distractions, and never drive under the influence. They can also start holding their peers accountable and encouraging their friends to make the right decisions. So they can promote safe driving. Schools can also use driver education by adding it to the curriculum and organize guest speakers such as crash survivors or law enforcement officers to talk about the real consequences of reckless driving. Communities can support safe driving by holding campaigns for it, hosting events, and low cost driving clinics.

Promoting teen driving safety requires a lot of work and attention but it can be done. No person or program can resolve the issue alone but it can be a start to a greater opportunity at helping teens be more safer. Thousands of teens die each year from car crashes because they did not practice safe driving. It is time to prevent that from happening even more by hosting more events and really making sure teens are driving safe on the road. No amount of stress being put on a teen to be safe can save them but it can be a big start to a good future. I encourage teens to start holding their friends accountable just like I had to do mine. It was hard because it was not something she wanted to hear but It is something she had to hear, because she could have got us seriously injured. I will always promote safe driving seeing as though teens have the tendency to not drive safer. A change can be made with the right encouragement.