As kids become teenagers, there are many milestones and hoops to jump through. Some make us grind our teeth and some make us breathe sighs of relief. Each young person has a slightly different reaction to driving alone for the first time, but some things are nearly universal. Fear… Freedom… Fumble…
The first time I drove alone was on my 16th birthday. My goal was to arrive safely at an Italian restaurant thirty minutes away to eat dinner with my family. I had driven the exact route I would be taking with my mom the previous day, but as I used my turn signal to exit my driveway, I was a ball of nerves. Fear. Driver’s Ed had instilled in me a fear. Images of car crashes and bodies sliced in half by train collisions flashed through my mind as I felt my hands on the wheel and my foot on the gas. “Flying” down the highway at slightly below the speed limit felt like a path straight to heaven too soon. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 8.5% of drivers in fatal crashes during 2021 were 20 years old or younger, even though the age group only accounted for 5.1% of licensed drivers. I didn’t want to become part of a statistic. I arrived safely, feeling thankful and jittery after a prayer-filled drive. Time on my learner’s permit and listening during drivers education had prepared me to drive safely on my own.
As time moved on, I got used to driving. I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I understand the appeal of freedom it brings. It is freedom and responsibility. As I drove more, the lessons I learned during drivers ed became less vibrant. I still remembered what traffic signs indicated and right-of-way rules, but the red numbers and pictures in my vision that told me to be extra careful not to end up like them were now more gray. One day, I found myself reaching for my phone and sliding over the middle line. I was blessed that no one was coming in the opposite direction, but I realized then that I needed to reassess my priorities. According to the CDC, texting while driving is more prevalent among older teenagers than younger ones. A survey in 2019 revealed that 59.5% of students 18 and older texted while driving and 30.5% of 16 year old drivers did so. I see a correlation between dangerous behavior and the amount of time since Driver Education was received. People should not live in fear, but the acknowledgement that driving is a dangerous activity keeps people from engaging in distracted driving.
It is impossible to hold the hands of everyone in the nation and make sure they practice safe behaviors all the time. I think continued Driver Education is a positive step towards making people keep themselves accountable. It is unrealistic to make thousands more classes for continuing education, but it is possible to use a platform used by teachers because it forces students to pay attention to an informative video on their own. As the video plays, it pauses often to ask students a question about what they just watched. Driving safety videos that explain traffic rules and the danger of crashes through photos and statistics would help reinforce in people the caution they used when they first started driving. I think people should be required to complete an individual quiz like this every few years. Driver Education is one of the most important ways people learn the rules and dangers of driving, and emphasizing it through continued exposure could help many people remember there is a reason they used to be fearful and that freedom comes with responsibility.
Car accidents are not always anyone's fault. Sometimes weather or obstacles in the road cause a crash. People hit deer constantly where I live. Those accidents are unavoidable, but the number of deaths related to driving can be reduced. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,308 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022. Thousands of fatalities are avoidable every year. The call is clear, focus on the road before you orphan a child or widow a mother. Death isn’t pretty, and life is more important than finding the perfect song on the radio or the pack of gum in your purse. I have seen people trying to do these things while driving, and I’ll tell you what I told them. Stop.
I’m blessed that the only car accident I have experienced was a slow roll into a relatively shallow ditch. I was on my permit, and rolled next to instead of onto a driveway. My parents were patient. Everyone fumbles at least once. No one was hurt and there was little damage. I learned a valuable lesson about being sure I knew where I was and where other cars were at all times. Being a safe driver means being a vigilant one. Check your blindspot before changing lanes and come to a full stop at every stop sign. I have taken steps to ensure I am a vigilant driver. When I get into the car, I place my phone in an empty cup holder facing away from me so I am not tempted to grab it. To help everyone become safer on the road, it is important to call out dangerous behavior. Passengers are responsible for helping their driver stay focused and safe. Drivers are responsible for holding themselves accountable. Driving causes death, but if we learn from little fumbles and scary statistics, we can work together to lower those numbers.
The first time I drove alone was on my 16th birthday. My goal was to arrive safely at an Italian restaurant thirty minutes away to eat dinner with my family. I had driven the exact route I would be taking with my mom the previous day, but as I used my turn signal to exit my driveway, I was a ball of nerves. Fear. Driver’s Ed had instilled in me a fear. Images of car crashes and bodies sliced in half by train collisions flashed through my mind as I felt my hands on the wheel and my foot on the gas. “Flying” down the highway at slightly below the speed limit felt like a path straight to heaven too soon. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 8.5% of drivers in fatal crashes during 2021 were 20 years old or younger, even though the age group only accounted for 5.1% of licensed drivers. I didn’t want to become part of a statistic. I arrived safely, feeling thankful and jittery after a prayer-filled drive. Time on my learner’s permit and listening during drivers education had prepared me to drive safely on my own.
As time moved on, I got used to driving. I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I understand the appeal of freedom it brings. It is freedom and responsibility. As I drove more, the lessons I learned during drivers ed became less vibrant. I still remembered what traffic signs indicated and right-of-way rules, but the red numbers and pictures in my vision that told me to be extra careful not to end up like them were now more gray. One day, I found myself reaching for my phone and sliding over the middle line. I was blessed that no one was coming in the opposite direction, but I realized then that I needed to reassess my priorities. According to the CDC, texting while driving is more prevalent among older teenagers than younger ones. A survey in 2019 revealed that 59.5% of students 18 and older texted while driving and 30.5% of 16 year old drivers did so. I see a correlation between dangerous behavior and the amount of time since Driver Education was received. People should not live in fear, but the acknowledgement that driving is a dangerous activity keeps people from engaging in distracted driving.
It is impossible to hold the hands of everyone in the nation and make sure they practice safe behaviors all the time. I think continued Driver Education is a positive step towards making people keep themselves accountable. It is unrealistic to make thousands more classes for continuing education, but it is possible to use a platform used by teachers because it forces students to pay attention to an informative video on their own. As the video plays, it pauses often to ask students a question about what they just watched. Driving safety videos that explain traffic rules and the danger of crashes through photos and statistics would help reinforce in people the caution they used when they first started driving. I think people should be required to complete an individual quiz like this every few years. Driver Education is one of the most important ways people learn the rules and dangers of driving, and emphasizing it through continued exposure could help many people remember there is a reason they used to be fearful and that freedom comes with responsibility.
Car accidents are not always anyone's fault. Sometimes weather or obstacles in the road cause a crash. People hit deer constantly where I live. Those accidents are unavoidable, but the number of deaths related to driving can be reduced. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,308 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022. Thousands of fatalities are avoidable every year. The call is clear, focus on the road before you orphan a child or widow a mother. Death isn’t pretty, and life is more important than finding the perfect song on the radio or the pack of gum in your purse. I have seen people trying to do these things while driving, and I’ll tell you what I told them. Stop.
I’m blessed that the only car accident I have experienced was a slow roll into a relatively shallow ditch. I was on my permit, and rolled next to instead of onto a driveway. My parents were patient. Everyone fumbles at least once. No one was hurt and there was little damage. I learned a valuable lesson about being sure I knew where I was and where other cars were at all times. Being a safe driver means being a vigilant one. Check your blindspot before changing lanes and come to a full stop at every stop sign. I have taken steps to ensure I am a vigilant driver. When I get into the car, I place my phone in an empty cup holder facing away from me so I am not tempted to grab it. To help everyone become safer on the road, it is important to call out dangerous behavior. Passengers are responsible for helping their driver stay focused and safe. Drivers are responsible for holding themselves accountable. Driving causes death, but if we learn from little fumbles and scary statistics, we can work together to lower those numbers.
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