“If you aren’t going 10 miles over the speed limit, you aren’t truly going the speed limit.” This is a common phrase I hear among teens who have recently earned their driver’s license. Unfortunately, it shows a dangerous mindset that many young drivers are pressured into adopting. Rather than viewing driving as only a means of transportation, many teens see it as a thrill or a way to impress their friends. This misconception is at the root of many preventable accidents involving young drivers, which is why driver education is so imperative.
Accidents relating to driving are one of the leading causes of death for teenagers. Driver’s education works to alleviate these issues. Personally, my online driving education class taught me the importance of keeping my full attention on the road. Multiple guest speakers attended the classes and spoke on their experiences revolving around distracted driving. This experience left a profound impression on me, and definitely makes me think twice about being distracted while driving.
I am positive that the lessons and supervised practice in driver’s education will teach other teenagers the importance of driving safely and smartly, as it did for me. However, driver’s education is only a part of the answer. Parents, schools, and communities should also work to create a culture and environment that encourages teenagers to make safe driving decisions.
One of the biggest challenges teen drivers face today is the pressure to drive recklessly, which often means speeding, but it can also be a distraction by their phone. This dynamic clearly plays out at my high school. Walking through the hallways on a Monday morning, I often overhear students bragging about how fast they drove over the weekend. After a Friday night football game, for example, I once heard a 10th grader boast, “I drove 15 miles over the speed limit.” A senior nearby retorted proudly, “Well, I drove 20 over the limit.”
The conversation around speed is not one centered around shame as it should be, since the reckless behavior carelessly puts other bystanders in dangerous positions. Rather, it is one of pride, as teenagers feel that they are ‘cool’ by evading the speed limits, testing how fast they can go. What many teenagers don’t realize is that speeding not only increases the chance of losing control of the vehicle, but also reduces the time they have to react to unexpected hazards, which is something I learned while in driver's education.
Some teenagers mistakenly believe that speeding on empty backroads is harmless. But in my experience of driving on backroads, they can be even more dangerous. The lack of lighting, the presence of deer and other animals, and the sharp winding curves make it easy to misjudge a turn or fail to avoid a hazard.
Another significant challenge among teenagers is overconfidence. Many teens feel invincible behind the wheel, and think that once they get their license they can handle driving quickly. However, no amount of confidence can make up for a lack of experience and practice. Teenagers have not encountered enough situations to respond effectively while driving in dangerous situations, especially when at high speeds.
So what can be done? I think that teenagers must first take responsibility when in a serious situation like driving. This means following speed limits carefully, not getting distracted, and not giving in to peer pressure. Furthermore, we should encourage teenagers to speak up when a friend is driving recklessly. Every couple of months, usually before Prom and Homecoming, my school will hold assemblies and discuss the importance of driving carefully and safely. I think that this should be a standard in all schools. Furthermore, it would be even more impactful if schools brought in guest speakers, like crash survivors or law enforcement officers, in order to provide powerful reminders of what is at stake.
Parents also play a key role in promoting teenage driving safety. I think that parents should have open and ongoing conversations about driving safely. Setting clear rules like not using phones behind the wheel, and not driving after dark further encourages teen driving safety. For the first 6 months after I got my license, I was only allowed to drive during the day time. I am grateful for this since I was able to improve my driving skills in the daylight hours. Communities can also support safer teenage driving through public awareness programs and increased enforcement of speed limits.
In the end, although teenagers getting a driver's license is a time of joy and accomplishment, it is also a large responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Teenagers should be encouraged by their parents, teachers, and communities to pay close attention in driver’s education courses in order to protect themselves and others. We have a long way to go in terms of driver safety, but if the community works together we can help protect the roads and our teenage drivers.