When growing up there are constant mild stones that come with each new year. One of the big ones that many kids think about is driving. As you start to drive you take tests and courses and even practice driving before you're completely on your own. The one thing many don't take seriously that needs to be is the distractions that come into play when driving a vehicle. A distraction can be anything that takes away even 1% of your focus from the road. Drivers’ education is a course in which many young drivers take to prepare them for the road and even for their driver’s test. This course helps inform kids of the many challenges and distractions that come into play while driving and how to prevent them. Now even though it is taught does not always mean that it is 100% prevented from happening when driving by themselves. I am currently 17 and while when I had my permit, I was way less distracted. Teen driver safety is important to the public because when not addressing an issue coming from young drivers it leads to accidents and mistakes. Driver's education allows for such issues to be addressed and as years go further it allows the teachers to explain different mistakes and situations that happen for young drivers in the driver seat. I tend to feel like I slacked off on the proper driving mechanism in order for a safe and undistracted drive. Now talking about distractions when in a vehicle the list can go on however some that are most common is texting while driving, friends in the vehicle, and changing the music station. Just these three things that may not seem so bad can be life changing.
Teen driver safety is one of the most important things for the public to know about because each year there are thousands of people who die or end up in a car accident due to distracted driving. Some of the biggest challenges that young drivers face are distractions in the vehicle, they can overcome such distractions whether from friends or their phone by putting their phone across the car or even telling friends they need them to quiet down for just a minute so they can focus. Speaking up during a distraction is just the first step of limiting the challenges and distractions while driving.  For me, changing the music station and having friends/family in the car can be the most distracting. I love to talk so when I have family or friends in the car it can be difficult to completely focus on what's going on around me while also continuing on a conversation with someone. Another big one is if the song isn't what I want to hear I have to change it until my favorite song comes on or just one that I don't mind listening to. The longer you have your license you think that these little things aren't distractions but as time goes on, they really become even bigger distractions. One big thing that everyone including myself needs to learn is how to break these bad distracting habits from our driving. A way for me to break the bad habit of changing my music station while driving is to put it on a certain station then if I want to change it, I must be completely stopped before I can do so. To create the most safe and productive route I believe planning ahead of time and prioritizing the things around me rather than my music will create less distractions in the vehicle. Another way I plan on limiting the distractions in my car while driving is giving myself the courage to tell whoever is in my car whether friends or family may be quiet for a minute or quiet their voice in order for me to have a clearer focus on the road and the people around me. There are many steps and/or actions I can take to clearly explain to my passenger the concerns I am having. For instance, I can clearly exemplify and communicate my concerns I may have with something they are doing while I am driving. When doing so I can properly inform them of the correct procedures to take when driving. There are many distractions in everyday life, especially when driving, in order to create a safe and proper drive for not only yourself but also the other drivers around you; you must limit or completely get rid of the distractions in your vehicle.
To promote young drivers’ safety, teens, parents, and communities can implement a multi-difference approach focusing on education, parental involvement, and community engagement to the youngsters on the road. Teens can focus on safe driving practices for themselves and friends, schools can offer a more diverse and enhanced driver's education programs, and communities can support these efforts through awareness and partnerships with other communities to get the word around. Teen drivers have many challenges faced but with the help of themselves, parents, teachers, and their community we can slow down the distractions being faced for the safety of everyone. This creates awareness from their community and elsewhere for others to know about.