Most teens, when nearing the end of sophomore year, get behind the wheel of a car for the first time. This can bring many new ideas and emotions to these young drivers. They might get excited for their new found freedoms, or maybe a burst of adrenaline knowing the only thing standing in between them and 100mph is the ever watchful eye of the law. Unfortunately, these new ideas don’t always include a cautionary mindset towards this unexpectedly dangerous activity millions around the world partake in. Teens don’t always see the dangers because they are not properly educated on all the different risks the road holds. Driving education is the simple solution to this ignorance, but unfortunately, it’s often not seen as a necessity for new drivers. When I was learning to drive, I didn’t take a drivers education course because I believed it was simply just to learn to drive, but I now understand it’s worth much more than that. These courses provide a proper understanding of the risks, dangers, and distractions that come with driving.
Driving is a very common thing to do in the modern day. Millions go for a drive everyday, most without any issue. Car accidents happen a lot, but compared to the amount of driving that happens on the daily, accidents seem almost impossible. It would be great if this was the case, and in a way, it is certainly possible for this to be so. This is, unfortunately, an almost impossible reality to reach. This is mainly due to the multitude of distractions that can be seen among drivers, and especially teen drivers. The most common and arguably the most dangerous distraction is something the majority of teens keep within an arms reach throughout most of the day. It is common to hear mobile phones being blamed as a distraction in just about every aspect of life, and this includes driving. Texting and driving can be a one way ticket to trouble, and what’s worse is it can happen so suddenly. One minute you’re just taking a peek at your phone, and the next, you’re in a ditch. I know I personally fiddle with my phone when I shouldn’t, and I think it’s largely because of my false sense of immortality. When you’ve never been in an accident, which many teens haven’t due to a lack of experience, it is easy to say, “oh I’ll never get into an accident. Car accidents are just so unlikely.” This false sense of security is also reinforced by the fact that drivers are extremely safe when they are actually paying attention. The danger only occurs when drivers are distracted and not thinking about how safe their own driving really is. I believe that with a proper education of the risks, and a greater emphasis on the causes of the problems, teens would be a lot safer drivers. It’s not safe to wait for a harsh wake up call to humble these dangerous drivers.
I have personally seen how getting behind the wheel changes a driver's mindset. My dear friend Aidan has always had a passion for cars. For as long as I’ve known him, he has always wanted to get behind the wheel and go fast. He would spend his days reading about cars. He would always want to race on our bikes, and he would beg his mother to let him drive. I remember this one birthday party of his where we went to a go kart track for hours racing through a track. There were five drivers out there all racing, and not one of them could keep up with him. There was no doubt in my mind that he was born to drive. As we got older, and he approached his drivers test, I knew for a fact that he wasn’t going to be a safe driver. This idea was further supported when I heard he saved enough money to buy a really nice sports car. I’m about a year older than he is, so I already had my license by the time he was getting his drivers permit. I remember approaching him one day to encourage him to be careful when on the road. I hoped my experience driving would be enough to make my word trusted, but unfortunately, he didn’t seem to care about what I had to say. The moment he got his license, predictably, he began to drive recklessly. There was nothing I could say or do to convince him to be more cautious on the road. This one day, when we were out on the road together, he began to speed on the highway again. This wasn’t unusual at this point, so I said nothing, but due to this reckless behavior, he came very close to being in an accident when taking a turn. Thankfully, this situation didn’t end up worse than it did, but it easily could’ve had a much worse outcome. This was the wake up call that he needed to be a little more cautious when on the road. This is the type of wake up call more teen drivers need, but unfortunately, these dangerous situations can easily end in much worse ways. I’m thankful my friend has begun to drive safely, but I do wish others would follow in their footsteps.
It doesn’t take a near tragic incident to enlighten teens on the dangers of driving. We can do so by utilizing the driving education courses that have been offered and perfected over decades. At the moment, taking a driving course is completely optional for most teens. On top of that, there is very little incentive to encourage teens to take these education courses. I believe the easiest way to encourage teens to drive safely is to make these driving courses mandatory, or at least have a greater incentive to take one. These courses can provide some much needed insight into not only the risks one is accepting when driving recklessly, but also the way their habits cause the danger. It is easy for teens to underestimate the danger of their habits, especially when it’s easier to do so. With these driving courses, we can teach teens that these habits are what’s causing the majority of accidents on the road, meaning without them, the roads would be a lot safer. I think we can all agree that this is a type of humbling we can all benefit from.