An Adrenaline Drive Once Or Long Drives Forever?

The Avian Flu, Ebola, the Zika virus, and SARS are some examples of deadly epidemics that shook the world. Aside from gun violence and sexual assault, reckless driving is a "non-medical" epidemic that should be on the list. Hundreds of thousands of people die from accidents born of speeding, texting while driving, and driving while intoxicated. I call reckless driving an epidemic because there are so many people who are becoming victims of it, yet there is still not an effective cure, per se. Although there are some regulations in place, their effectiveness is quite limited. Teenagers, especially, are ignorant of the various laws in place. For example, in my school in New Jersey, anytime you step into the parking lot or see a student in their car on their way home, they are guaranteed to have their phone out and in use. Unfortunately, this is becoming a norm among adolescents all over the country. It is now "cool" to take such risks - where there is about a 25% chance of an accident.

Driver's Education is a mandated course in many schools across the country. The course is generally geared towards a successful score on the written test rather than road safety. However, while teaching the material on the test, students are taught the basics of road safety as a result. I do not think that negative effects are implied enough through the discussed material. Documentaries and films can only convey so much; I think it would be beneficial to have survivors talk to all the students because there is no age limit to learning about road safety, as it would allow them to directly relate to the tragedy. Additionally, what I have noticed in my Drivers Education class, as well as in others, is that students do not take it very seriously. In order to leave a lasting impact on the students, the programs should be revised in a way that would allow students to experience road safety.

Insurance companies implement higher prices for teen drivers because of shocking statistics like the fact that 22 percent of teen drivers were not wearing a safety restraint during a crash. Adding to that, over 17,000 teenagers were killed in Pennsylvania alone because of reckless driving. Reckless driving is not only speeding and swerving along the road, but also includes phone use while driving, drinking and driving, and driving while under the influence of drugs. If the consequences are more restrictive and more strictly implemented, all drivers will benefit from it - not only teenagers. Additionally, if insurance companies offer a more enticing reward specifically for teenagers who are accident-free for a period of time, the aforementioned frightful statistics will surely decrease. Speeding amounted for the reason for 32% of accidents involving teenagers. The thrill of taking risks while driving poses an important question for drivers everywhere: an adrenaline drive once or long drives forever?