As a teen driver myself, I know that learning the huge responsibility of getting behind the wheel and operating such a large vehicle, is daunting and kind of scary. It is necessary for teenagers to learn to drive safely. Statistics show that there are many deaths because of car accidents, around 40,000 people die from car accidents a year. Many times it is because people are distracted or not paying attention. It is an important public issue because when we have teenagers on the road, if they are not being careful, it does put people’s lives at risk. Driver’s education is something that needs to be completed, and in my opinion, it should emphasize the importance of driving safely.
The biggest challenges include, distractions, pressure from peers or people in authority, lack of experience, lack of knowledge regarding driving safely, and drowsy driving. With all of the new cars coming out and, when a family can afford to get the teenager one of the new ones, there are a lot more distractions that are built into the car. I have driven two new cars and they have screens and “safety” features that if I was not careful with, I could get easily distracted. Some teenagers are with the wrong friend groups who try to encourage them to drive fast and recklessly. Even if adults are not careful with how they talk about their driving, the teenagers will see them as a role model and might decide to follow them in how they drive. Because everyone has to learn to drive at some point in their life, they will not always have a lot of experience, but I really think that is where the driver’s ed comes into play. Teen drivers are naturally going to be inexperienced, that is the reality and it will not be able to change. Sadly, a lot of the time teenagers think that nothing can hurt them and so they believe that safety is not as important. Even just reading a book about driving can give them experience and knowledge. There are times where it is unavoidable, but I really think that everyone, but especially teenagers, need to avoid driving when they are tired. One of the most important things for a teenager, who is learning to drive, is to have a responsible adult who will teach them the proper way to drive safely.
I have witnessed an accident, my brother has crashed his car, and my boyfriend has gotten into far too many accidents. The first accident I ever saw was not an easy one. I did not know any of the people there, but it involved three different cars. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It is so easy to see how when one car is not clear about what they are doing, how it can create a domino effect. My brother crashed into a ditch because he was driving a little too fast for a turn when the roads were slick. That all plays a part in driving safely. It is very important to keep an eye on the road conditions and also know your car. My boyfriend has gotten into a lot of accidents and even though some of them were not his fault, it still shows that when people are not driving safely, it does impact other people. That is one of the reasons why I am a safe driver, because if I drive recklessly, not only does it put my life in potential danger, but it also puts everyone else on the road in danger.
Teenagers, schools, and communities need to take responsibility for making sure that safe driving is encouraged. Not only do they need to teach that you need to drive the speed limit, but also the typical safety features, like seatbelts. The reality is that many people die in car accidents, but there is a way to help that number decrease. We need systems that will insist on drivers’ education before teenagers can even start to drive. It is not something that can be skipped out on. Drivers’ education will teach people learning how to drive, the basics of driving, being a defensive driver, and also information on how to deal with different situations. The areas that we live and are influenced by also play a huge role in fostering a culture of safe driving. Parents are one of the most influential people when it comes to their teenagers learning how to drive. It means that even before a kid can drive, parents need to be a good role model with how they drive, they need to supervise very closely, and they also need to enforce that their child drives safely. When a parent leads by example in a good way, teenagers are a lot less likely to drive recklessly. Thank God I have never been in a car accident, but I have witnessed many risky driving decisions.