Teen Driving – A Matter Between Life and Death

You start your car after a long school day, leaving your seat belt unbuckled. You’re driving on the road with cars speeding past. “Ding! Ding!” Your phone is blowing up from your friends’ group chat. Your eyes glance off the road to look at the distracting bright messages. Your eyes glimpse back to the road and before you know it, you’re racing through an intersection while the cars beside you have stopped. Your peripheral view is blinded by a bright light that’s inching closer. Your eardrums vibrate from a deafening honk. “Crash!” Your vision turns black as your consciousness slips away from your grasp.

While this scenario may seem exaggerated, car accidents affect and take the lives of thousands every year, primarily teens. The loss of young lives can cause a ripple effect of grief amongst one’s family and friends. Seeing a now-empty desk in your class because your peer was recklessly driving is not an experience anyone wants. Thus, to improve road safety for teens, two steps can be executed: understand the importance of drivers-ed and learn good driving habits. One could argue that the last thing teenagers want is adding another class to their already packed schedules. However, taking a drivers-ed course can be the one thing standing between life and death on the road. My drivers-ed instructor showed my class photos from a wreck involving two teenage drivers. I’ve never experienced a car accident, but these photos opened my eyes to the dangerous reality of reckless driving. Drivers-ed gives teens a preview of the rules and hazards on the road before they put their hands on a steering wheel. This training helps decrease the number of teen car-crashes because teens become more aware of the consequences of reckless driving and will have more experience than those who didn’t take the course. One would not step onto a playing field without first learning the rules of the game. So why should one drive if they’re not aware of the signs and dangers of the road? When I received my license, some of the most vital lessons I learned came from my parents, who equipped me with good driving habits. Thanks to them, I always look over to my blindspot before switching lanes; I look both ways twice to ensure no pedestrians are crossing; and I verify that my phone is on “silent mode.” Learning good habits from an experienced driver can improve one’s confidence and responsibility on the road. As a driver, I have the duty of not only guaranteeing my safety, but the safety of others too. Thus, I ensure that I never take risks with driving and that my family and friends don’t either. After a long day, I believe everyone would like to see their loved one’s drive and return home safely.