Hit the Brakes: The Dangers of Teenage Speeding

Justyn Kelly

9 June 2020

Hit the Brakes: The Dangers of Teenage Speeding

Speeding has always been a major cause of fatal car accidents across the World. In 2017 alone, accidents caused by speeding accounted for 26% of all traffic accidents. However, this phenomenon seems to be more common in teenagers who are mesmerized by the honeymoon phase of having their new driver’s license. According to a study done by the Governers Highway Safety Association, it was found that in the years between 2000-2011, speeding contributed to 19,447 accidents involving teens.

There are many motivating factors that contribute to the craving for high speed driving in teens, however, there is one that I am most familiar with: ego. Personally, I have been a passenger in several situations with friends who drive sports cars such as Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas, and others. When these drivers that I have been with see their other friends or are blasting music while driving down Pacific Coast Highway, they act as if they are on top of the world, and as if they’re invincible. Sometimes, I have been a passenger in a car that was going 115 mph on the I-405– scary and stressful, I know! While these individuals have not yet been involved in a car accident, it’s inevitable that it will happen one day if they keep driving in an irresponsible way. To protect myself, I have established two ground rules: first, I will only get in the passenger seat of a vehicle that is driven by a driver that I trust and that I know is responsible, and second, I will remind myself when I am the driver that the adrenaline rush and excitement that comes from flooring it for a few seconds is not worth the pain and grief that a fatal accident will cause.

Something that teens–but also drivers of all ages– must remember is that popularity and ego will not matter if you, a loved one, or a complete stranger is killed. That is a grief that will permeate for eternity. It is not worth it. We have to understand that we drive to get to a destination, not to pretend that we are on a NASCAR track when in reality we are in the middle of a bustling highway. We don’t drive to impress our friends, or for an ego stroke, because not a single one of us is invincible. We must learn to have enough respect for our passengers, the occupants of other vehicles on the road, families at home, and even ourselves to hit the brakes and slow down to create safer roadways for every one of us.

Sources: https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding