Creating Safer Roadways

In the time it takes to read this essay, at least one person will die in a car accident. The accident may not involve a new driver, but inexperienced teen drivers make up 11% of car crashes when only 7% of the nation’s population is 15-19 year olds. These rates could be dramatically decreased if drivers ed and if parents provide them proper driving instruction.

To increase education of young drivers and create safer roadways, all states should require education courses before allowing licensure testing. Currently, only 32 states require some form of driver education, and nationwide adaptation would likely decrease the 300,000 teens from age 16-19 that are treated in emergency rooms annually due to car accidents. Attending drivers ed courses before earning my license was a huge eyeopener. Watching videos of young adults talking about their injuries that altered the course of their life, or hearing from friends and family of a loved one who sadly didn’t survive a car accident, makes young drivers realize that these horrific events can truly happen to anyone. Educating new drivers about the risks and potentially fatal outcomes of driving helps teenagers realize that operating a vehicle is no simple task. Additionally, research shows young drivers that didn’t participate in drivers ed classes are 75% more likely to receive a traffic ticket and 24% more likely to get in serious accidents.

Often with receiving your license, restrictions are placed on who and when you can drive. In Connecticut, newly licensed drivers can drive their siblings after six months and must wait one year before driving friends. Many teens take these restrictions lightly without realizing their impact on how safely they drive. Introducing passengers constitutes more distractions including conversation, loud music, eating, dancing, and potentially driving under the influence. Additionally, Connecticut restricts new drivers from driving 11pm to 6am. This restriction is warranted, as 40% of teen crashes in 2017 occurred between 9pm and 6am. Although they may seem optional to teens, state restrictions increase the safety of all drivers, and parents must enforce these restrictions.

The most critical way for teens to become safer drivers is to actually practice driving. Parents must be extremely involved in practicing driving skills with their children, especially to point out their unsafe decisions. This includes driving during inclement weather and driving on various types of roadways, so the new driver knows how to react in different situations. Before a child receives their learner’s permit, parents should be role models and practice safe driving. If the parent speeds, fails to drive with both hands on the wheel, uses their phone, or drives without wearing their seatbelt, it is likely that their child will have the same bad habits.

Teaching teens to drive should not be taken lightly. Informing new drivers of the risks of driving and providing substantial driving practice will drastically decrease the rate of teen crashes. Parents, teens, and drivers ed instructors working together will create safer drivers nationwide.

Work Cited:

Drivers Ed Staff. “Preparing to Become a New Driver: Which States Require Drivers Ed?” DriversEd.com, https://driversed.com/trending/which-states-require-drivers-ed.

“Distracted Driving.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 13 Aug. 2015, https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver's+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets