Cell Phones and Arguments

The main influences that affect teen drivers on how prepared they will be for driving are fluency of mechanical movements or reaction time, the extent of knowledge about traffic laws and procedures, and the amount and quality of drivers ed they take. It is a fact that 16-19 year-olds are three times more likely to get in an accident than any other demographic. Drivers ed can reduce the chances of teenagers and adults getting into an accident and reduce the chances of getting a ticket by 40% (Pratt). As for myself, driver education allowed me to ask questions about road laws that I was unsure about, it introduced probable scenarios that I had not thought about, and it taught me about the dangers of driving and how to be careful and prevent an accident.

In order to reduce driver deaths states must require that new driver take driver ed courses. Today, only 32 states require novice drivers to take them. It only makes sense that it should be federally mandated. Additionally, the greatest danger for drivers comes from the use of cell phones. It appears people could not be more dependent on their phones nowadays, having all social capabilities such as Instagram, Snapchat, and messaging in the palm of their hand. What many people do not know is that cell phone usage can be as dangerous as driving drunk. In order to significantly decrease cell phone usage while driving, state legislatures should emphasize the severity of the situation by assigning larger fines and requiring community service for a violation.

As for personal experience, I have heard many stories of people using their phones to take videos of the driver, and generally distracting them. While phone usage is the primary distraction this day and age, there are other forms of distraction as well. When my mother was in high school, she got into a car accident with her sister. They were getting into an intense argument and my mom was not paying attention and hit a driver head on going around 40 miles per hour. My mom was airlifted to the hospital and my aunt went into a coma. Fortunately, she woke up after a couple weeks and my mom only had to get minor surgery. They both ended up fine, but not all people are so lucky.

For me to call myself a conscientious driver, I must make sure that I am alert and fully awake before and throughout the driving process and I keep both of my hands on the steering wheel and away from the radio. I must also be disciplined in keeping all rules of the road including coming to a complete stop at stop signs, always using my blinker, following the SMOG procedure (signal, mirror, over-the-shoulder, go) every time I change lanes, and staying under the speed limit; not just around it.

Pratt, Michael. “Why Drivers ed is a Must for Teen Drivers.” www.obrella.com. Obrella 2019. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.