Imagine this, you are cruising down the freeway on your way home from work and suddenly a teenager in their new car goes flying past you at 90mph and ends up rear-ending someone further up in the fast lane. Most teens live for the moment they get to experience that, minus the crashing part of course. This reckless mindset trending in teenagers is beginning to rise at a severe rate that is concerning to society. Teens have such a large amount of anticipation and excitement for when they first drive. Though that is great, teens are also inexperienced, easily distracted, and vulnerable to peer pressure. Passing your drivers test does not automatically mean you are a good driver, the greatest responsibility about driving is the fact that you are to practice life preserving habits. This is why driver education has such an important role in preparing new drivers by improving responsibility and awareness on the road.
New drivers are not always going to be automatically horrible drivers, but they do still have a lot less experience than someone who has been driving for barely two years. Most concerns around new drivers revolve around the fact that they are severely inexperienced. Yes, kids could study their parents as they drive around but that can only bring so much understanding. Teens may already have an idea of how to drive in general and work the car, but the real issue is that they are unaware of everything that happens beyond the car. Road rules, understanding how to react around other drivers, correct reactions, etc… New drivers are more likely to get into accidents whether it is their fault or not, because they are not used to/have not built up enough driver experience for proper reaction times. They are not yet aware of the everyday driving risks. With freedom comes responsibility, and responsibility is not exactly every teenager's specialty. Teens are considered to be the ages to make mistakes and be reckless, live life. However, this cannot be the mindset someone has when receiving a license. Teens can oftentimes be blinded by the excitement of their new found freedom through driving and end up making poor decisions.
Maybe you have heard of offensive and defensive driving. Offensive means you are the one approaching aggressively, this is the driving approach road ragers tend to take and that ends in more accidents than not. When taking drivers education classes, new drivers are taught to do the exact opposite of that. Defensive driving is safe driving, always on the lookout for obstructions or offensive drivers, and always paying attention to signs and obeying laws. Defensive driving keeps yourself away from harm and potentially saves others as well. Drivers education teaches newly driving teens the proper way to respond to particular road occurrences and how to handle new ones. Driver's education also puts an emphasis on the consequences that happen if teens decide to be offensive drivers, reminding them that every time they get into a car, the decisions they make can mean life or death. This can obviously cause some stress, luckily, they are also taught and trained to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the anxieties of driving. They are taught that it is crucial to be calm and collected so as to not make any rash decisions.
Considering the modern scene, distractions alone have made up a large amount of driver safety concerns orbiting the teenage years. Phones have had a large impact on society, mainly shortening people's attention spans and creating addictions. Teens are the most at risk of this as they grew up with technology and most have had phones since they were 10-12. Teenagers use phones for everything, constantly texting, looking for directions, listening to music, etc… These big 3 are some of the main contributors to distracted drivers, people can no longer wait to text someone back or are constantly changing music. Though it may be easier than said, there are a few simple habits teens can start creating to cut back on those multitasking habits for a safer driving experience. Most phones are now equipped with ‘focuses’ which are modes on the phone for specific activities.
Focuses can be made/turned on so that notifications can be silenced or at least brought to a minimum while in motion, or phones could simply be turned off and put away for the duration of the drive. As a teen myself I notice there is wide spread passion for music, however it can get distracting constantly changing up the songs mid drive. Therefore, playlists could be created in spare time so before beginning a trip, they could simply pick the playlist and be set for the ride. Most phones also have voice assistance like Siri on the Iphone, this can allow drivers to vocally complete tasks such as skipping a song rather than physically looking at their phone. GPS’ can be a tricky topic since it can be considered a driving necessity, but, preventative measures can still be done about directionally challenging drives. Teens typically do not know their home town streets yet, meaning they need a GPS to get around their town. A way to make sure they no longer need a phone to get to the store would be taking random drives, no destination, just studying the streets or simply studying the direction when being driven by someone else. They could also turn on the voice to the GPS directions or study the provided route before they leave.
Now take the age group for example, it is a group that can be rough at times: the social anxieties, worrying about judgment, the peer pressure of it all. Teens can be quite persuasive when they want to be, unfortunately though, this typically shines through poor decisions and a lot of the times it finds its way to newly licensed kids. Teens want to be wild and free, they want to do what they want, when they want it. So as a car brings freedom, it also gives teens room to make bad decisions, even if it is just driving around a friend or two when they are not legally allowed to yet. One time in high school I had peer pressure make its way to me. I had my license for barely a few weeks and had friends constantly begging to get a ride to the store after school, guilting me with their long walks home, or even locking me out of my classroom during afterschool extracurriculars until I agreed to take them to Starbucks.
Driver's education does not particularly prepare teens for the pressures from their own classmates that they will experience after gaining a license. One way to prevent this and prepare them for it may be to add role playing to the curriculum. Teens may use this as an opportunity to recognize when the pressure is being applied and when and how to say no and deal with persistent peers. Schools could also participate in awareness weeks where there can be informationals at lunch, assemblies, and even classroom activities to remind and further educate all grades on the legal, emotional, and financial consequences of poor driving choices. Drivers education should not just be offered to sophomores, but freshmen as well. While we’re at it, schools should bring back physically teaching students in a vehicle how to drive. A little extra education on the topic could never be bad, teens do not yet understand how quickly things could go wrong on the road. Some may know how to drive but do not know what to do in emergencies, certain weather conditions, or have difficulties at night. There can NEVER be too much driver education for teens, or anyone for that fact. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right?
Therefore, having safer roads can start at the beginning of a driver's journey. Educating teenagers in being a safe driver can quite literally save their lives and many others. Teens must take control of their driving habits, and communities must empower them with the tools and support to do so. You can be a good driver without being a safe one, choose to be safe. The license gives you the freedom, but only through education will you learn to do it responsibly.