When I was in high school, prior to having a driving permit or license, I found the idea of driving was extremely intimidating. My interpretation of the dangers that come with driving developed very early on. I think a large contributing factor to that understanding draws from the perk of being the oldest sibling. There was this kind of unspoken rule growing up that the eldest got to ride shotgun. I always loved looking out the window, watching and enjoying the sights of the world around me. As I grew older, I began paying more attention to other folks on the road. It started with noticing other drivers' smaller, more ‘harmless’ errors–a rolling stop here, a missing turn signal on an empty road there. But the more I watched, the more apprehensive I grew of other drivers, even my parents. Watching helplessly as the car slowly starts to cross the road lines because my parent isn't paying attention has always been nerve wracking for me. I would begin to notice more and more people’s attention locked downwards, presumably on their phone, or focused on digging something out of a bag in the passenger seat–instead of on the road where it should be. Everywhere I looked, whether in person, online, or stories heard by word of mouth, there were all kinds of accidents that happened as a result of distracted driving or pure carelessness and disregard for the laws around driving. These observations forced me to recognize how deadly a small decision like glancing at your phone while driving can truly be. I would end up putting off getting my drivers permit for months after I turned sixteen. I had developed a deep rooted fear of other drivers because of the indifference towards safety I witnessed over the years.

I think a major and very destructive component that sets many members of generation Z up for failure are cell phones and just how normalized distracted driving is in our society. Relative to the development in technology throughout all of human history, phones are still somewhat of a new development. We’re all still learning how to regulate phone usage. It seems to be a common theme for people in my generation, gen Z, to habitually use their phone while driving or be distracted in a million different little ways. I will argue that no generation is much better than us though. Despite our parents and grandparents not learning to drive with a cell phone glued to their hand the way many of gen Z have today, they are no better–but they should know better. Lack of concern for the safety for oneself and safety of those around you is an issue that drivers of all ages are guilty of. The pandemic of distracted driving could be a reflection of improper education, the theme of lax attitude towards safety, or ignorance in how quickly irreversible damage can be inflicted. This is very much a widespread issue, but thankfully can slowly be corrected through proper and effective driving education.

I’ve either read or heard once that a child’s behavior is often a reflection of their parents’. If I see my parents driving distracted and carelessly while I'm growing up, that’s most likely what I believe is normal and typical behavior of every other person on the road. We know–or at least hope–that laws will allow for proper consequences to fall on those who drive distracted. But I believe the best way to curb these awful habits is to put a larger emphasis on the importance of driver education. Getting ahead of what driving behaviors a teen may have seen all their life before they can repeat the same mistakes. Informed, well educated drivers keep our roads, communities, and families safe. We may not be able to stop our current long-time drivers from continuing dangerous or negligent driving habits, but we can ‘nip it in the bud’ so to speak with each new wave of teenagers. There should be more education and stress placed on the implications of getting behind the wheel–how your life, and the lives of everyone around you are in your hands, and should be treated as such. By planting the seed of what proper driving looks like for our teenagers, public safety increases and will continue to produce effective safe drivers for generations to come.

I frequently observe the world around me and see the mistakes that many people make while driving. But I am very grateful for having gone through driver’s education while in high school, and taking a step further in taking a defensive driving course. Driving safely and driving aware of the world around me is my number one objective as a responsible driver–an attitude I try to spread when I can. I see members of my family and some of my friends fall into the habit of driving distracted, and I point it out. Everyone, including our new drivers, are responsible for keeping one another accountable for following the rules of the road. Maybe that looks like me as a teen scorning my own father for driving distracted, scorning my friends, and scorning my sisters. Big change doesn’t necessarily require big action. Everyone benefits from following the rules–it saves lives–and that is one of the biggest and best takeaways I’ve gotten from my own driving education.