Teen driver safety is important and rarely discussed. A car is a weapon, and when you're in control and don't acknowledge that one small error can destroy your life (or someone else's) forever, it's almost too late. It's not just about learning to drive; it's understanding the need for driving safe and responsible awareness. Therefore, driver ed is important not only to get a person behind the wheel and know what's going to be on the exam. But it's important to get a young mind to learn how to apply foresight, awareness and consideration of others while driving.

I come from a background where I had to grow up fast. I lost both of my parents early on and didn’t have much help growing up. I bounced around from place to place, living with friends or whoever had space. I didn’t have someone there to remind me to look both ways or to practice parking with me. So when I got the chance to take drivers ed, I knew it was a big deal. I took it seriously because I knew I wouldn’t get a second chance.

Distractions are one of the biggest problems for a teen driver. Phones are distracting—texting, social media, even changing songs takes one's attention away from the road. But it's not only phones; sometimes, it's the friends in the car. As a teen, while it may be an enjoyable endeavor, sometimes the awareness that things can go wrong, and they can go wrong quickly, does not always kick in. For example, there's peer pressure. If friends are goofing off, giving directions that make no sense, blasting music or encouraging the driver to drive faster, it's hard to focus on what one should do. After all, no one wants to be perceived as a square or a chicken. But being a chicken or scared is good. It's not lame. It's smart.

I recall one instance that I'll always remember. I was riding with a friend who just got his license. He had a couple of friends in the car - obnoxiously loud, joking and being silly. He took his eyes off the road for a second to respond to a text, and in that second he almost rear-ended a car. Fortunately, he slammed on the brakes in time but it was a wake-up call for everyone in the car. I knew in that moment that I stayed somewhat calm but I couldn't forget about that moment. It made me promise to myself that I would never let people distract me while I'm behind the wheel. You are the responsible one while others are not.

For me, driving became more than just a way to get around. It became part of my independence. Without parents or support, I needed to figure out how to get to school, to work, and to the places that helped me build a future. But with that freedom came a big responsibility. I had to learn fast that being safe on the road wasn’t just about protecting me — it was about protecting everyone around me. I didn’t want to hurt someone just because I was rushing, or not paying attention, or trying to impress someone.



Sharing responsibility for reducing teen driving risks, teamwork must involve not just the individual and peer groups but also the schools and communities. Schools can offer additional drivers ed courses even for those who cannot afford it. Some may not have a parent that can drive them, much less a car in which to learn driving. If schools were to offer some sort of practice, or at least an opportunity to go onto a driving simulator, many more teenagers would be able to walk into the real world with a much better-related experience than what they currently have. Communities could have safe-driving days, invite speakers, or launch a campaign on the dire consequences of distracted or drunk driving. Maybe it takes a firsthand account of a tragedy for the matter to strike home.
Teens need to look out for each other. If you see a friend who is distracted while driving, say something. If you’re not able to drive because you’re too tired or too upset, then don’t do it. Call someone. Hang around for a while. Be honest with yourself. Being “cool” for five minutes really isn’t worth the guilt for the rest of your life.
This is the story of how learning how to drive altered a life forever: it gave one the ability to just keep on going, even with nothing else to hang on to. But more importantly, it instilled into the young adult that the life and safety of others, in addition to his own life, mattered to him. The teenage drivers are new, but that shouldn't mean they're stupid. Instead, they ought to be taught by examples on how to make correct choices, and reminded that every time they're behind the wheel, they are making a choice between driving safely or risking it.
I choose to drive safe; I hope the others do, too.