At my high school, most people I know are guaranteed a car on their 16th birthday. No matter their income, level of maturity, or driving experience, parents provide this privilege to make life simpler and more convenient for themselves by not having to drive their teen to school. Most of my classmates believe that having the ability to drive puts less pressure on their parents and gives them more freedom to go where they want. In reality, parents who grant their teen a vehicle could make life much more difficult, with teen car crashes being especially prominent in this day and age. But, by taking measures to ensure that teens are educated about the reasons for car crashes, young drivers can reduce the risk of causing deadly accidents before receiving a car and getting on the road.
This new expectation that every student should have a car has proven deadly in the past few years. With the rise in the use of technology for driving functions, more teens and adults alike have died from car crashes after the pandemic due to these new innovations. Even more, the majority of motor vehicle crashes are by teenagers, and most are caused by distractions, which include technology and a lack of driver education and experience. I have observed this in my daily life. When my friends drive me to a restaurant for lunch or a pool to hang out, they often don’t know where they’re going. Because of this, they rely on their phone and use tools like GPS to navigate the streets and arrive at the correct destination. However helpful these aids may be, they have caused some dangerous situations in my life. I have experienced multiple instances when a friend drove me through a stop sign or a red light just because they were distracted by the navigational screen in front of them instead of paying attention to where their sights should have been: the road. These incidents could have ended much worse for me, but, luckily, they have happened at times when there was little traffic on the roads and cautious drivers around to look out for people who might not be paying as much attention while crossing an intersection. Other times, friends driving me have been alerted by the buzz of their phone or don't like the song that’s playing on the radio, so they look down and ignore the traffic all around them. Additionally, I often struggle to navigate the streets, so I focus on where my GPS is telling me to go rather than dedicate my full attention to driving my car. All of these visual distractions have been shown to limit reaction time, and in an emergency situation where one may need to pull to the side of the road or hit the brakes, technology like GPS and cell phones can be deadly. Moreover, most teenagers use these devices because they lack knowledge in directions and are prone to give in to the temptation of looking at their phones. Because of this, distracted driving has led to a tremendous amount of car crashes and deaths all due to a glance away from the road.
These motor vehicle incidents can be prevented in many different ways. The most effective method to reduce teen car crashes is by educating drivers about the dangers of technology right when they begin to learn how to drive. As much as I dreaded my daily two hour driver’s ed classes after school, they ended up benefiting me greatly. My driver's ed teacher told stories to the class that made us fear for doing anything wrong on the road, including going on our phones or changing the radio station while driving. When I got behind the wheel, we drove along most of the main roads and common places in my city that I would need to drive to often after getting my license. This is similar to what most young drivers experience during their behind the wheel lessons, and like many of them, I learned to navigate through my town without using a GPS. This exemplifies how driver education can reduce the amount of distractions like GPS and teach teens to not make bad decisions on the road. Another method to prevent motor vehicle incidents caused by distractions is using voice led navigational systems that guide drivers without the need for visuals. If using a GPS, I find it extremely important to set up the system before I begin to drive to avoid looking at my cell phone while trying to focus on the road. If I know where I’m going and don’t need a navigational aid, I put my phone face down to limit the temptation to look at my texts or see my notifications. And, to encourage my friends and family to drive responsibly and eliminate distractions, I navigate for them as a passenger by looking at the GPS myself. No matter what works to keep your eyes on the road and tune out the desire for technology, reducing visual distractions in any way can contribute to a decline in motor vehicle accidents and deaths, especially in teens who are vulnerable to this.
As I continue to drive more and more in my new car, I have to always keep in mind how technology can negatively affect my driving safety and to put my full attention on the streets in front of me. Like me, many people my age are given a car in high school; however, most are barely aware of the dangers behind distracting GPS and cell phone technology. So, when purchasing a car for a teenager, one of the most important factors to take into consideration is their level of experience and education relating to driving and if they are responsible enough to put their phone away and focus on the road ahead.