In the Driver's Seat

Distracted driving is one of the top causes of teen crashes in 2019. Any activity that takes your attention off the road, whether it was taking your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel, can be tragic. All types of distracted driving increases a teen’s risk of car crashes, major injuries and even death. All activities like staring at cell phones, eating, or looking at maps are examples of what puts individuals and others on the road in danger. To counter such catastrophes from happening, awareness should increase towards students about the importance of driving safety.

Drivers ed is important because of the amount of teens who are more prone to accidents than the average adult driver. Inexperience, lacking the necessary driving skills and lacking capabilities are the main factors of teen crashes. Proper driving education in drivers ed can prevent car crashes and reduce the risk of distracted driving for teens. According to the AAA Foundation, Driver education is associated with a lower incidence of both crashes and convictions - reducing the number of crashes by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%. Teens who complete drivers ed demonstrated greater long-term knowledge over their peers who did not take program.

There are numerous steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of deaths related to driving. One step includes emphasizing the importance of distracted driving in schools and in social media. Another step would include the already implemented restrictions when being on your phone, for an example: Your phone turns off notifications while driving. My story when I was in a friend’s car is one prime reason for such restrictions. During this ride, my friend would once and a while get on his phone while driving, i did not say anything about it because of the thought that he knew what he was doing. During the ride, there was a moment when the line was moving and my friend expected the cars to keep advancing on the road. He would then glance over to his phone as the car in front of us stopped unexpectedly. In the few seconds while i saw my friend on his phone I quickly yelled out his name and he immediately hit the brakes as he was only moments away from crashing. While this is a prime example of irresponsible driving, there were many drivers who experienced similar stories but were not so lucky.

Distracted driving is proven to be one of the most causes of teen crashes. When driving I always remember to put my phone down with the automatic notification mute to make sure I am not tempted. I will increase the awareness of distracted driving to my peers, especially to those who are just now getting their license and/or those who are more prone to distractions. 3,477 people were killed because of distracted driving, we could easily reduce that number one step of a time.