November 14th, 2024. As I was driving home from school, I was rear ended which totaled my car. Physically I was fine, mentally it was a different story. I did not have time to process what had happened. That night was the opening night of our Fall Play (PUFFS: a harry potter spoof) in which I was a lead. By the time I made it home, I had to run right back out the door to make it to the play. To be honest I do not remember most of that night. I do remember being incredibly shaky. I was so shocked by what had happened just hours prior. The next morning, I drove my mom’s car to school, and I was paranoid. I kept checking my rear mirrors to make sure the car behind me did not get too close. The entire drive to school I was shaking. I remember pulling into the lot at school and feeling so relieved I made it. Even now months later it is hard for me to not look at the car behind me. This crash made me more aware of my surroundings. While I was shaken by this crash, it helped me to realize I needed to pay more attention on the road. Experiences like these can make a teen think of driving as scary. Learning to drive is supposed to be exciting for a teen. We are so excited about the chance to drive ourselves places, go see our friends, and most importantly: pick up food whenever we want. Those excitements can all fade with one bad experience, one wrong turn. Teen drivers today face many challenges such as phone distractions, lack of driver’s education, and lack of understanding of the consequences of unsafe driving.
Cellphones have become major distractions in the lives of teenagers. Whether that be in the classroom, with our family, even on the road, phones take up much of our attention. All of that stemming from feeling left out. If you do not know the latest trends you are behind, you need to keep up with your friends the minute they text, you need to watch trendy videos, we feel the need to be in the know. This anxiety leads to us making unsafe decisions on the road which in turn can cause accidents because we do not consider the consequences of our actions. Wrecks can happen very easily due to our lack of experience and drivers’ education. For example, many students do not know what to do when they start hydroplaning, have a tire blow out, avoiding sudden objects safely, etc. We may respond to these situations too slowly or too panicked.
Drivers’ safety is a much bigger issue than many realize, and it takes a community to solve. Since it seems the community is not addressing things such as distracted driving, since most adults also drive distracted, and providing adequate education regarding driving and cars in general that is easily accessible to students, I truly feel Drivers Education is something that would help to combat these struggles. Students need to learn the gravity of their decisions behind the wheel which I feel can be done through Drivers Ed. Providing students with real world examples of how unsafe driving can impact their lives would help students understand the why behind driving rules. Understanding the why would help students implement driving rules into their driving. Drivers Ed would also help in ensuring students know how their cars work, how to change a tire, how to refill their wiper fluid, etc. These are important for students to learn so they can care for their cars better. Students would also learn how to respond in instances of hydroplaning, brake failures, a tire popping, etc. This would help students to feel calmer and more prepared for situations like these. Drivers Ed would also encourage students to get off their phones on and off the road. Placing habits inside the classroom that encourage students to get off their phones will transfer into their cars. I think Drivers Ed should be required in every high school to give students the opportunity to gain experience and more knowledge of drivers’ safety. Parents should be involved in helping their kids to learn about drivers’ safety as well. Parents need to set an example for their students to better help solidify what students are being taught. Parents should put their phones fully away while driving, wear their seatbelts always, and obey traffic laws to instill these habits into their child. Students should not just be taught how to clean their cars. Parents should actively show their child the mechanics of their car and explain how it works. For example, when wiper fluid needs to be refilled in my car, my parents have me refill it. When my tire went flat, my mom took me with her to the shop to get it repaired. Teaching through everyday situations and through drivers ed can help all teens drive more safely.