We all have beloved family members that are teenagers. We root for them. We hope for their success and cherish them. Our love for the youth is so strong that we mourn the tragic loss of another family’s teen. With so many car accidents tearing apart families we must have a change. Up to 94% of car accidents are from human mistakes. This means that they are preventable (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Mistakes are often a result of ignorance. In other words, lack of education.
Teens these days have a school filled schedule. With assignments, chores, and a social life, it can become a challenge to study for their driver’s license. Friends can distract them from studying or influence them to just memorize the practice test. Some teens may not have parental support and have to guide themselves. Unfortunately, these are teens that are in most danger. Let me give you an example.
My focus during high school was attending college classes in the afternoon. My goal was my education for a career. I never once batted an eye at my education for driving. When my mother told me to get my permit, I studied for the practice test and memorized that. In the process, I never opened the driver’s manual and actually learned. Yes I passed my permit, but did I really earn it? Many teens fall into this trap of choosing to be ignorant. So what can be done?
Involvement! You may feel urged to give your teen independence and figure out their permit. But in reality they are still in need of guidance. Instead of tossing a big boring book to them, read with them. Discuss confusions. Make it interactive. An example was when my father would drive, he would speak out loud his actions and reasoning: “I am going to check both ways before crossing the intersection even if I have the right-a-way. You never know when someone might run a red light.” That small lesson will forever change my life because I will not fall victim to ignorance.
High school is designed to create an environment of growth. As a community, we can call our districts and cultivate the way we want our children to learn. Urging high schools to make a driver’s education class can make a big difference. Teens will no longer have to make time in their busy schedule since it would be during school hours. Families with low income will have access to driving classes. An example is that my high school has many classes that allow students to be CPR certified. Now our city has many teens that can assist in first aid care. Now imagine if it was a driver’s education class. The community would have educated and safe drivers.
We often hear about the debate of book smart and street smart. Did you know they work better together than against? Let me explain: After practicing driving with my permit, I thought I knew everything there is to know. Turn right to go right. Simple. I even got my license. What is wrong with that? I didn’t have any experience. My muscle memory was new and my alertness was small. I remember I almost ran multiple stop lights or breaked too late. Luckily for me, my mother didn’t trust my driving and would still join me. Her experienced eyes would warn me to break and to stop.
Experience isn’t a skill you get from a book. Too often our community lets our teens go loose as soon as they get their license. If parents joined as passengers for a couple weeks post-license, teens earn the ability to refine their driving education. Do not fall into the dangers of ignorant parents. Make sure you witness the strength of your teen’s driving before letting them drive alone.
The world can be cruel and unfair. Many teens may not have supporting parents. Many teens can be victims of poverty. But as a community those challenges can be overcome. If you are a relative witnessing a teen missing their driver’s education, step in. If you are a friend, step in. If you are in this community, step in. Stepping in does not mean you have to teach the teen yourself. It means advocating for driver education rights, calling school districts, fundraising for those in need, and calling 911 when witnessing any teen in danger of a car accident. You can even share this post to educate those in your community. All of these are ways to prevent and end ignorance. Car accidents are preventable.