Teenage Driving

Driving is one of the biggest privileges that a teen will experience in their life. Although it is one of the biggest privileges they will receive, it is the most dangerous. Did you know that car crashes are the second cause of teen deaths?

Drivers’ education is one of the most important components for becoming a licensed driver. It is a class where people learn the rules of the road, and it teaches the risks and consequences if you break the law. Drivers’ education can show you what would happen if you do not follow the law. For example, they can show a video where a teen was speeding with her friends, and out of nowhere, they hit a rock or a dip in the road. Then the car would flip over, killing two of the four girls and putting the girls in the driver and front passenger-side in the ICU. Although the driver is in the ICU, that person would have to go to court to face charges of involuntary murder. This all could be avoided if the driver was driving the speed limit and paying attention to the road. Also, the person who teaches the class can share their experience of driving because they are the most experienced one in the classroom.

Although teen deaths in car accidents are very high, there are some steps to prevent or lower the chances of being a car accident. One intervention would be to turn the phone off. Texting and driving are the biggest reasons for teen deaths in car crashes. Luckily, we live in the age of technology where there are apps that silence your phone when a person is starting to drive a vehicle or put it on do not disturb. Another way would be to take care of all of the unnecessary distractions before driving. Distracted driving is very dangerous because if you take your eyes off the road or not fully focus on the road, you put yourself at a higher risk for having a car crash that could end your life. That could be easily prevented. A step that can be potentially helpful is being more comfortable on the road and being a defensive driver. A person not comfortable driving on the dangerous highway by themselves is more likely to get in a car crash because they are not comfortable or confident in themselves and could potentially put other vehicles in danger.

I was involved in a car accident on October 30th on my way to practice from work. I was going through an intersection in the left-hand lane, and I had a green light. On my right side, a man had a red light, but he was in the lane to make a right-hand turn. He was allowed to turn on red if nothing was coming in the lane he was trying to get in. Instead of him turning into the lane closest to him, he turns into the lane where I was driving and hit me. Luckily, we were both okay and the only thing that was damaged was my rear passenger door. Although we were both okay, I was still shaken up because it was the very first time I was in an accident where I was driving, and I still get nervous when a car turns because it has the potential to come into my lane and hit me.

Driving safely is something that everyone should do and continue to improve on as they gain experience on the road. One thing they could do to improve driving safety is making sure everyone has a seatbelt on. A seatbelt is one of the most important safety features in a car. Even if a person is just going down the street, they should have a seatbelt on because anything can happen. People can become safer drivers is obeying the speed limit. Speeding is something everyone has been guilty of at some point. Speeding puts people’s lives in danger and disrupt the flow of traffic. Drivers also need to be aware of their surroundings by checking their blind spots and making sure no cars are in the way before moving into the next lane.

Driving can be an amazing thing for a teen. It can be very dangerous, but it can be made safe by educating yourself about the rules of the road and learning from other people’s experiences. Safe drivers make the best drivers!