Each day, teenagers get behind the wheel without grasping the power that lies in each choice that they make while driving. According to public health data collected by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. This reality continues because many teenagers believe that they are invincible. For example, teenagers often observe their parents' calmly driving, without being attentive to the effort required to ensure protection. Unlike our parents, teenagers have probably never experienced a car crash. As a result, teenagers justify taking risks while driving. Driver's education is a dominant way to limit occurrences of dangerous driving by preparing teenagers to handle decisions, which effectively reduces crashes.
The great responsibility that is involved with the privilege of driving occurred to me when I witnessed two car crashes during my short commute to school. I saw the front of a white car, which was the same size as mine, be crushed in the blink of an eye. I observed the other car involved in the wreck spin into the grass next to the road upon impact. I pressed harder on my brake and could not take my eyes off of the wreck in front of me. Then I was able to stop holding my breath, as I saw each driver step out of their car.
I did not realize how soon a similar event was going to impact someone close to me. Once I continued towards the next intersection, I was shocked to approach police cars. There had been another wreck. With the images from the collisions still in my mind, I noticed my friend crying in my first class. She had been in the second car wreck that I drove past. A young girl driving too fast in the rain ran into my friend's car at a red light with enough force to cause my friend’s stopped car to hit the car in front of her. The event totaled my friend’s car and forced her to attend weekly doctor’s appointments for months in order to manage her back and neck pain. She had to work extremely hard to fully return to competing in archery, like she loved to do. As I admired her perseverance throughout her long recovery journey, I felt angry, knowing her pain could have been avoided if the driver followed lessons from driver’s education, specifically by giving other cars more space in bad weather.
After seeing these wrecks, I became aware of the utmost importance of driver’s education. Driver’s education allows people to consistently feel in control while driving. This was proven through a study performed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Researchers said that teens taking driver education are less likely to be involved in crashes or to receive a traffic violation during their first two years of driving when teen crashes and fatality rates are highest. Therefore, driver’s education will allow positive, long term changes that can decrease the number of car crashes. Driver’s education confronts safety concerns by teaching people knowledge ranging from pedestrian safety and responsible driving habits to understanding traffic laws and defensive driving. Lessons taught in driver’s education directly translate to preventing future wrecks.
Driver’s education is crucial because of the presence of damaging societal pressures that are inflicted on teenagers before they decide to start their car. Not only does inexperience cause teens to underestimate dangers and overestimate their abilities, but also peer pressure impacts teens’ mindsets while driving. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that when compared to driving alone teenagers are two-and-a-half times more likely to drive recklessly with one peer in the car and three times more likely to drive recklessly with multiple peers. When given car keys teenagers want to share their new freedom with friends, which leads them to engage in harmful actions, such as speeding and ignoring traffic laws in an attempt to impress others.
Similar to the dangers presented by peer pressure, looking at a phone while driving can swiftly lead to a serious car wreck. This is especially likely for teenage drivers who are not experienced enough to manage glancing at a phone and navigating the road. Driver’s education functions to allow teenagers to properly recognize peer pressure and technology as risks to safe driving. This enables teenagers to have a stronger conviction about their decision to drive safely and equips them to maintain the best possible conditions for their drive.
Due to how essential driver’s education is, everyone should reinforce the amazing impact brought by driver’s education. This can occur through schools hosting events that educate on preventing frequent causes of car crashes among teens. This can include topics, such as only giving a few friends a ride at a time, making sure that passengers are wearing seat belts, never drinking and driving, maintaining proper sleep before driving, and only driving if a car is correctly functioning. For instance, communities can promote peer programs in schools, such as Teens in the Driver Seat, which is designed to be presented by real people, who are the students’ age, to draw students’ attention towards the importance of safe driving. Also, teenagers and adults should spread safety messages on social media platforms to effectively reach young drivers. Talking about safe driving practices regularly and in an engaging way will allow teenagers to realize the importance of upholding safety on roads before they get behind the wheel.
Experiencing a wreck should not be necessary for a teenager to understand the value of practicing safety measures while driving. This is why driver‘s education needs to be advocated for. Every time that I am behind the wheel, I am mindful that I am responsible for the safety of every loved one who is a passenger in my vehicle. This cannot be taken lightly. Similarly, driver’s education must be handled with intense seriousness and care. Everyone should follow the example that driver’s education sets and be proactive towards preventing wrecks by communicating a shared commitment to safe driving.