In the Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

Sam Laughlin

Car crashes are the number one killer of U.S. teens. In 2017 alone, 2,364 U.S. teens (aged 16-19) died due to motor vehicle crashes. Several reasons put teens at higher risk of car accident fatalities (almost nine times higher than middle-aged drivers), including: impulsiveness, poor judgement, and inexperience. But, what if you could reduce the number of motor-vehicle related deaths for teens by giving them real-world driving experience and more education before getting in the driver’s seat? Well, you can. At least according to AAA’s recent study. They reported that drivers ed classes reduced the number of collisions by 4.3% and traffic convictions by 39.3%, proving that teens who took drivers ed classes were safer drivers. (Hamilton 2014). That’s because, just like any other skill, getting better when learning a new skill comes with instruction and practice. Drivers ed instructs new drivers how the vehicle dashboard functions and the rules of the road before we ever get behind the driver’s seat.

Once behind the wheel with a drivers ed instructor, the real teaching begins. It’s one thing to learn how to do something from a book, but it’s a lot different in real life. We practiced driving in neighborhoods, busy streets, and worked our way up to a busy interstate with lots of cars and trucks. This was the first step to getting the practice we needed to be safer drivers. But driving with an instructor for 6 hours isn’t enough to reduce the numbers of deaths caused by unsafe driving. I learned the hard way how easy it is to get into an accident when driving too fast. I used to race in my local 4H go-kart club. One time, I lost control of my kart and barreled through some hay bales. After I named the correct president with a flashlight shining in my eyes, they decided I didn’t have a concussion. But lesson learned! By continuing to practice driving, new drivers learn how to respond when something unexpected happens, and this results in less accidents and less deaths. It only takes a second for someone to cut you off, an animal to run in front of your car, or a friend to distract you. You need to know what to do.

That’s why I think graduated licensing (GDL) is a good idea. I live in New Jersey and we get our permit at age 16. We’re required to take at least 6 required hours of supervised driving with a licensed drivers ed instructor before we can take our test at 17. If we pass, we drive under certain restrictions for six months. This includes: no driving from 11:01 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., no more than 1 passenger (unless a parent is with you and the other passengers are your siblings, no electronic devices, and a GLD decal must be displayed. (MVC 2020) NJ’s GLD is sterner than lots of other states, but there’s no denying its benefit. Research shows comprehensive GDL systems can result in 26% to 41% reductions in fatal crashes and 16% to 22% reductions in overall crashes among 16-year-old drivers. (CDC 2019)

Works Cited

CDC. “Teen Drivers: Get the Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Oct. 2019, www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html.

Hamilton, Bruce. “Teen Driver Safety.” LSEDE, 2014, newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/LSEDE-Fact-Sheet.pdf.

MVC, NJ. “Share the Keys.” NJ GOV, 2020, www.nj.gov/oag/hts/downloads/gdl-bro-eng.pdf.