I am seventeen, and I have never been behind a wheel—well, once, but it was a go-kart, so I am not sure if it counts. Up until last week, I didn’t have my permit either, and it got me teased by my friends. As I am about to start learning to drive, what concerns me isn’t my late start but the many people I know who have driven without a permit or license, most of whom are teenagers. For this very reason, it is crucial to educate young drivers like myself so our roads can become a safer place. Education does not only come from institutions such as driving schools, but it also comes from family, school, and community support.
A news story that has stuck with me is one from 2018 where an 18-year-old was participating in a street race and struck a mother and her baby daughter at 100 mph (ca. 161 km/h), killing them. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison; nevertheless, a cult following for him quickly arose on social media platforms such as TikTok. What shocked me was not just the teen’s behavior but also the public’s reaction. Although he murdered two people, he was supported by the public, who claimed he was “too cute” to be punished. This reaction is especially dangerous because it trivializes the consequences of reckless driving.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), from 1975 to 2023, 269,707 people (aged 13 to 19) have died in motor vehicle crash accidents. That’s roughly equal to the number of students enrolled in all public universities in Arizona in the recent academic year. The tragedy of this comparison is that none of these teens got to start or finish their college career. It is easy to glance over 269,707 and think of it as just a number, but that value contains 269,707 goals, 269,707 aspirations, 269,707 fears, 269,707 lives suddenly and violently erased. While this number reflects those who died, it does not account for the families of these teens, whose lives were torn apart by the accidents. In truth, when we consider the emotional devastation of these tragedies, those affected may well be within the millions.
You see, it doesn’t have to be this way. Most of these deaths can be prevented by educating our teens and putting them at the forefront of motor vehicle lawmaking. Driver’s education should come from schools licensed by the MVA, not in the back of some random alley with your uncle who does not have a license. More importantly, we must help teen drivers identify and eliminate distractions that pull their attention from the road. For example, cellular distraction involves not only texting and calling but also making changes to GPS navigation while actively driving. Some people believe they can quickly refocus after glancing at their phones. However, according to an accident injury law firm, the first contact of an accident happens within one-tenth of a second, the same duration as the blink of an eye. Unless you are a fighter pilot or Formula One driver, you simply cannot react in time. While it is crucial to educate young drivers through driver’s education courses, simply teaching is no longer enough. We must pair education with action.
So what can teens, schools, and communities do to combat this epidemic? Teens need to be able to call each other out on dangerous driving behavior, and this comes from families teaching their children what safe driving is. Additionally, teens must support each other and not pressure others to drive recklessly (schools can provide anonymous complaint forums where teens can feel safe and comfortable confronting their peers' driving conduct). Schools can host assemblies with traffic officers or real crash victims to help students understand the real cost of driving recklessly. Furthermore, communities could offer free or subsidized driving courses to increase access to proper driver’s education. The involvement of teens, schools, and communities will be extremely crucial in realizing the United States’ 30×30 goal (a 5-year goal determined to reduce driving fatalities 30% by 2030).
As I have said earlier, I recently obtained my permit and will begin driving school soon. I see my permit as a privilege, not a right. Moreover, I commit to attending my driver’s education classes earnestly and driving safely and responsibly. To restate, reducing teen motor vehicle fatalities starts with teens, schools, and then communities at large. When we all work together, we preserve the futures of our teenagers and ensure that another 269,707 lives don’t get cut short.
Finally, drivers are not just responsible for themselves and their passengers; they also have a duty to other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and the families of these individuals. As a new driver, I am dedicated to doing my part in making the roads safer and preventing senseless tragedies.