The CDC isn’t just for pandemics: an opportunity to reverse course on teenage motor vehicle accidents

The CDC isn’t just for pandemics: an opportunity to reverse course on teenage motor vehicle accidents.

With most of America under stay-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus, I found myself visiting unfamiliar websites like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to learn more about the reason I’m stuck in my home. What I learned was that I’m in a pretty safe age group pandemically-speaking and that if I follow some basic behaviors I can further reduce my chances of becoming sick. After further browsing on the website and I was shocked to learn that teenage driving is more of a threat to me than the pandemic keeping the world in quarantine. According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Here is a sobering statistic:

“In 2017, 2,364 teens in the United States aged 16-19 were killed, and about 300,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. That means six teens aged 16-19 died every day due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more were injured.”

Wow…

The encouraging news is that like pandemic preparation, education and following simple behaviors can alter those statistics and keep you and me safer behind the wheel. Based on CDC data here are three things we can all do to roll back those statistics:

1. Wear your seatbelt. Teens have the lowest level of seat belt use, which also extends to our friends riding along with us.

2. Make good choices. Speeding increases the chances of bad things happening, especially if the driver is under the influence. Based on the 2017 data I referenced earlier, 31% of the fatalities were speeding at the time of the crash and 20% had been drinking.

3. Focus. If you are looking at your phone you are not looking at the road, and if it's dark out this calls for increased caution. Per the CDC, 40% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teen drivers and passengers aged 13-19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am.

The fourth recommendation I will add is getting situationally smart. In my own experience, I once slide too far forward because I didn’t compensate for the loose gravel on the road. I wound up side-swiping a car going by me. No one was hurt, but I will never forget the shock of the moment and apologizing to the other driver. The fact is I wasn’t an experienced enough driver to recognize the threat on the road. Drivers ed is so important and knowledge is key to being safe and situationally aware. I plan on asking additional questions to my more experienced parents, like driving in heavy rain, on dirt roads, and in snow conditions so I’m better prepared.

With more time on our hands during this pandemic, I encourage all drivers to check out the CDC page to stay healthy and safe on the roads.