More than 5,000 teenage lives will be lost due to car accidents this year. Additionally, around 400,000 young people will be in accidents that do not kill them but leave them going through the process of physical and emotional healing. Nearly 500,000 families grieve every year due to the traumatic accident that has left their child hurt, traumatized, or worse, dead.
Wailing sirens, broken glass, injured people, demolished cars, mental and emotional trauma are events that follow a car crash, no matter who was at the wheel. In fact, the PTSD can cause more damage than physical injuries. The human brain stores all kinds of memories, whether they are happy, angry, or sad. But it was also created to house emotionally charged memories. These memories, when re-surfacing, can make the teenager feel like they are living that terrifying moment all over again: the screech of the brakes, the impact of the cars, the shattering of glass. The mind is incredible, and incredibly scary.
So, what can be done to avoid the trauma that comes after a car accident? Defensive driving. Driver’s education. Safety measures. As my dad says, “The goal: arrive alive.”
Driver’s education is extremely important in learning safety measures that can save lives. The course teaches students practical methods for safe driving, such as how to drive cautiously in snow or rain, on the highway, and in larger cities. If students know that tailgating a tractor trailer is dangerous before they get out onto the road, they are more likely to put into practice what they have learned. Many teenagers do not know, and therefore cannot practice safe habits on the road. Driver’s education can help prevent accidents by teaching young people before they get behind the wheel.
There are many practical steps to prevent accidents from happening ahead of time. Do not drive in bad weather if you do not have to. If you do, follow the proper safety procedures to prevent accidents from going too fast around a slippery bend, for example. Limit the number of distractions in your vehicle. Only take passengers with you who you trust to not be distracting or reckless. Put your phone out of sight, because any time a notification pops up on the home screen, you will want to check it, even if just for a second. A second is all it takes. In an instant, the car in front of you stops, you cross the middle lane, or a deer darts into your lane. If you do not know where you are going, take someone you trust with you and they can be in control of the GPS, so you are not distracted. I know that bringing your mom or little sister with you isn’t “cool”, but it could save your life. And if your life is the price, are you going to pay it?
I have yet to be in a car accident, partly because I follow these safety measures. Once, I was riding with a friend and she was going at least 15 mph over the speed limit. Maybe I was overreacting, but I felt helpless. Helpless is a scary feeling, especially if your life is at stake. Now that I have my license, I choose to meet my friend at the coffee shop instead of riding with her. When you are a passenger, make sure you trust the driver before you get into the car. I have some relatives who do not wear seatbelts or drive over the speed limit, and I avoid riding with them when I can. Not because I don’t trust them as a person, but because I am not comfortable with putting my life in their hands. And as the driver, be sure that you are not taking people that will put the whole car in danger.
Learning to drive is a fun experience. For the most part. Sometimes it takes a close call such as almost hitting a deer to make you realize that driving can be dangerous, and it can become dangerous very quickly. So, drivers must be prepared. Do not feel that you should rush to get a permit because you are old enough. Put safety first and make sure you are responsible enough and can be trusted to operate such a large vehicle. Do not drive if you are unable to react in time to brake, swerve, or stop. Drive with people that will not endanger your car or other cars around you. Put your phone out of sight. Limit the time you spend looking anywhere but the road and drivers around you. Know how to be a defensive driver. Make your goal to arrive alive.













































Sources



Teen car accidents. teenager driver statistics on teenage car crash accident, Safety Information Auto Wreck Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.car-accidents.com/teen-car-accidents.html#:~:text=Deaths.%20Each%20Year%20over%205%2C000%20teens%20ages%2016,age%2016%20to%2020%20will%20be%20seriously%20injured.