A Single Moment

In a single moment you can chance a life. You can smile and make a new friend, reach out a helping hand to someone. In a single moment thousands of stars can be born in the universe. And in a single moment a life can be tragically lost. Life is full of risks. Some risks we can plan for, and others will just happen. Driving safely is one of things we can plan for. Collisions are often referred to as car accidents, but the majority of collisions are avoidable.

Driver education programs play an important role in preventing deaths on the road. These programs provide both classroom and behind the wheel experience for drivers. This critical education includes foundational knowledge and experience that help young drivers gain the confidence required to handle a vehicle safely. Drivers who have a solid education are less likely to cause an accident or commit a traffic violation because they understand the importance of, and the theory behind the rules.

A proper education about driving safety is so important because the statistics all show vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among teens. Fatal crash rates are much higher among teens than drivers in any other age group. Driver inexperience and distracted driving are a leading cause of teen crashes.

In addition to completing a driver education course, teen drivers can work closely with an adult, minimize potential distractions, be familiar with each car they drive, and follow all traffic rules while behind the wheel to reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

I believe working closely with your parent or another adult plays an important role in becoming a safe driver. Drive with a parent in the car as many hours as you can. A lot can be learned from a driver with more experience. You can’t possibly experience every driving situation in a few weeks, so the more hours you can log in a supervised setting the better. Try to get experience in many different situations, times of day, heavy traffic, nighttime, highway, and bad weather. All these situations bring their own set of unique driving techniques.

Minimizing distractions while driving is another way to increase your safety. Some distractions, like eating, or laughing with friends in the car, have been around for decades. Other distractions are newer, like phones, texting, and navigation systems. These distractions can be eliminated by turning your phone off while driving, setting navigation systems in a parking lot before starting to drive, and pulling off into a safe space if you do find you need to make a phone call.

As a teenage driver you may also find yourself borrowing different cars until you are able to buy your own. It is so important to become familiar with the car before starting down the road. Every car has different features and different settings. It is critical that teen drivers take a few minutes to get the seat and mirrors set properly, locate features like turn signals, windshield wipers, blind spot indicators, back up cameras, and steering wheel settings if available.

Finally, personally committing to be a responsible driver will make a huge difference in the number of collisions. Obeying all traffic laws is a starting point. In addition, pledging to never drive after drinking or under the influence of any drug is so important. Using role model behavior around other teen drivers can positively affect others. This can include behaviors like always wearing a seatbelt and planning so you always leave early enough that you are not tempted to rush when behind the wheel.

I have not been in a serious car collision, but all you have to do to hear about one is scroll down your news feed or talk to friends at school. It is so important to me to set a good example as a driver because my younger brother will be watching. He can get his license the year after me, so role model behavior is so important. The majority of collisions you hear or read about could have been avoided by reduced speed, paying better attention, leaving more room in between vehicles, or recognizing how roads can be affected by changing weather conditions.

Starting with a solid driver education program and supplementing your driving habits by working closely with an adult driver, keeping distractions at a minimum, gaining familiarity with the car you will be driving, establishing role model behavior, and following all traffic rules are important steps teen drivers can take to be a better and safer driver while encouraging others to be safer on the road as well. Make sure that your single moments are positive life changes like making friends, and helping others, not causing a collision.

2023 Drivers E