My Part As a Teen Driver

As I clicked on the topic of this year’s essay submissions and read the statistics of the average death in American due to results of driving, it was shocking to see the number of 34,000. How this number is higher than the total of soldiers who dies in Iraq and Afghanistan combined really astonish me. Knowing above stats helped me think about how important drivers ed is in reducing the number of deaths resulting in driving. According to dosomething.org 1 out of 5 16 years old get in a car accident within their first year of driving. In the state that I live, you can get a permit at 15 and a license when you turn 16. Now that I am 18, I don’t think this is enough time to gain experience to obtain a license. I took a drivers ed course, which is a quick course to get a permit. Looking back at it now, it does not seem sufficient.

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving? I know how unpopular this is going to be, but increasing the age limit to 18 to obtain a driver’s license and allowing someone at the age of 16 to obtain a permit, allowing two years of driving experience can possibly assist in decreasing accidents. Per statistic, the older you get, the less chances you are of getting in an accident. I think having things hold off in obtaining a driver license, taking more drivers ed and maturing will decrease accidents. Another step that should be taken is mandating a drivers ed course yearly between the ages of 16 to 21, the more information that is out there provided to drivers my age, the more we are more likely retain some of it. The final step to reduce number of deaths related to driving is to eliminate distractions, maybe have a mandated device in all vehicles that will disable your phone from working, while the vehicle is on.

I have never been in a car accident but I have several of my friends who have been. I have seen cars totaled following their car accidents and the stress it brings to not only my friends, but their parents as well. Two of my friends got in car accidents because they were not paying attention and were distracted by their phones. Thank God they were not serious accidents but it could have been avoided by paying attention to the road. My mom always tells me, don’t speed, don’t text and drive, be careful, make good choices. Do I listen all the time, no and looking at my friends I have been lucky!

Some of the steps I can take to be a safer driver as well as to help others become safer on the road, for myself I can commit to not picking up my phone when driving or putting my phone on air plane mode to stop any distractions. I can decrease the number of friends that are in my vehicle decreasing distractions. How I would help others on the road, I will tell my friends as a passenger to do the same, remind them not to pick up their phone, remind them to pay attention to the road, remind them to stop speeding. I have seen a few of my friends get speeding tickets. There is no simple answer to decrease death related to driving, but we can certainly start somewhere by talking to others and providing more education.