The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motor-vehicle crashes continue to be the number one cause of preventable death for teens in the United States. In 2022, there were 2,034 young driver fatalities, with 1,033 fatalities among passengers of young drivers. Vehicle crashes involving teen drivers are tragic, not only because they severely injure and kill people in the prime of their lives, but because they are preventable. Let us explore steps that can be taken to help prevent these unnecessary deaths from occurring.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” A study by Akbari et al. looked at the impact driver education had on road safety. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were selected to investigate the efficacy of driving education in reducing crashes, injuries, or secondary outcomes. The study concluded that there was no evidence that driver education is an effective approach to reducing crashes or injuries. One cause of these results may be ineffective teaching methods. I do believe education is a necessary cornerstone to effectively operate a vehicle. However, it may be necessary to modify the content or how current content is delivered since these approaches to driving education are not positively impacting traffic crashes or injuries.
If the impact of education on reducing traffic deaths is in question, what can be done that will have a lasting impact? A major focus needs to be on reducing distracted driving. According to a survey conducted in the United States, approximately sixteen percent of teens and preteens used their smartphones between three and four hours daily. Around fifteen percent of respondents reported using their mobile devices between four and five hours daily, while nine percent reported engaging with their devices for more than ten hours per day. Thus, one could reasonably conclude that teen drivers are using their phones while operating their vehicle. Currently, only twenty-four states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. All are primary enforcement laws, meaning an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place. Cell phone laws need to be passed in every state to dissuade the behavior of cell phone use while operating a vehicle. It is reassuring to know that forty-eight states in the United States have laws banning texting for all drivers.
Research studies show that collision-avoidance features and teen-specific vehicle technologies have the potential to prevent or mitigate up to seventy five percent of fatal crashes involving teen drivers. This is a promising statistic that demonstrates the impact of technology on counteracting driver distraction. However, it would be unreasonable to expect every parent to provide their teenager with a vehicle that is equipped with this type of technology. Thus, it can be argued that though this technology is making an impact, it does nothing to change distracted driving behavior. I believe there needs to be more thought into how driver training can be more realistic and designed where driving students can experience the actual impact that distraction has on their ability to safely operate a vehicle. Currently, providing this type of training to every teen learning to drive seems daunting. More research and development need to be completed in this space, exploring the use of simulators, AI, and VR technology.
Over the last three years since obtaining my drivers license, I have applied various actions that my dad taught me that I believe make me a safer driver. I always try to allow myself adequate time when traveling to reduce the temptation to speed. This does not always work, as I still occasionally receive texts or calls from my parents asking about my speed that they see on our driving app. I always use a maps app on my phone to provide navigation to destinations with which I am not familiar. The display is shown on my car screen so that I do not have to look down at my phone. I do not text and drive, nor do I talk on my phone while driving. I usually try to set my cell phone to be on Do Not Disturb when I am driving. This reduces the temptation of checking my phone since I am not aware of texts or notifications coming through.
The safe driving behaviors I practice are not only for me, but for others around me. I always try to be a good example to friends and my younger sister. I take driver safety seriously, as I lost a classmate in an automobile accident. This devastating event was always on my mind when I first started my driving training. I am committed to persistently applying safe driving behaviors to keep the roads safe for everyone.