There’s something horrifying about the speed with which everything can change when you’re behind the wheel. The next second, everything feels wrong — the music’s not playing anymore; you’re laughing with friends one minute but then again maybe now on TV five years later or three decades from now, just hanging around for a little longer. The next second, your life — or somebody else’s own — is never the same. I’ve witnessed the nature of that reality up close, twice. It left an impression both times and it still influences how I think about driving every day.
Many years ago, my father experienced a severe automobile accident. He lost control of the car, whipped around in a 180, and hit so hard that it broke his back in multiple locations. He needed surgery and now he has four metal screws in his back. It was the most horrifying moment of my life. This frightened me because it occurred to me how things can happen on the road in a split second and you cannot take it back. The second accident involved my cousin. He was a senior in high school and in the vehicle with some friends when they crashed into a tree. He broke his collarbone and broke his back, and five years later, he still wears a back brace. One of his friends broke every bone in her leg, and now walks with rods holding her leg together! These people are not stories in a news article, they are family members. It was a healthy reminder to me that driving isn’t just getting from point A to point B, it can be a matter of life or death!
Teen driving safety is a public issue, particularly given that car accidents cause thousands of young people’s deaths every year; car accidents are one of the leading causes of death among young people. Each year the number of deaths due to car crashes is in the thousands, with many of those lives being wasted on crashes that were preventable. It is even more disheartening that poor choices and distractions made up the vast majority of those fatalities—all things that could have been instilled through education and awareness. Driver’s Education is vital to creating safer teen drivers, not only to simply pass a test, but to create good habits before any poor ones begin. It is the one place where teen drivers can learn how to react when pressure arises, where teen drivers can learn best practices for navigating the roads, where teen drivers can learn road laws, and finally, where teen drivers can learn they are not invincible.
It is not the knowledge of traffic regulations that is the greatest challenge for teenage drivers, it is the knowledge of driving responsibly and how to respect the road. The temptation to be distracted by texts, notifications, or music is constant. And then, there is peer pressure, oblivion, and the natural invincibility that adolescents express to throw in the mix. It is a recipe for disaster. And I’m not talking theoretically. I witnessed it, when my cousin crashed his car, not out of bad intention or recklessness, but purely from being distracted and overconfident. That’s all it takes.
So how do we move past these problems? The first step is being self-aware. I remember when I got my driver’s license, I had the traffic flow and freedom of a driver but I also realized I had the responsibility that comes with driving. I started the habit of silencing my phone before I put the car in gear, I refused to allow passengers to be a distraction, and I simply tried to use common sense and lead by example. When you have witnessed the terrible wreckage of an accident caused by someone else’s driving irresponsibility, you can’t help but feel the responsibility that comes with driving. While I am a strong advocate for driver education, I think education should be required, and taken seriously. With the instruction including more real-life stories and statistics, not diagrams and definitions. I think parents should also be open about their experiences. My dad’s story certainly changed the way I saw driving before I even sat behind the wheel.
There are many ways that teens, schools and communities can partner together. Schools can organize safe driving events by inviting crash survivors or emergency responders to talk candidly about the stuff they see (and their feelings about it). Teens don’t just want to be told about the risks; they want to hear about the risks and dangers from real voices, and real people—books and other sources can only do so much. Communities can support campaigns where students create their own social media content promoting safe habits because between teenagers, their own stories, habits and instances of conversation matter more. Even a driving contract between a parent (or guardian) and a teen might help discussions—setting rules and consequences.
If we treat safety on the road like the serious public health issue it is, we can save lives. For me it isn’t so much a policy issue, it is a personal one. My family have been through the grief and anxiety that accompanies incidents. I know what it’s like to sit in a hospital room worried that the person you love will never walk again. I also know that almost all crashes can be avoided. That’s the part I struggle with the most.
If you are in the driver’s seat of the car, you are also in control of the responsibility that accompanies it. It isn’t just the car that you have control of when you turn the ignition on. Every time a teen gets behind the wheel, they are not just responsible for the steering wheel; they hold the responsibility of their future, the future of their passengers, and the future of those they share the road with. I honestly believe that if more young people saw the big picture of what holds more weight than just turning the engine on, we would have lesser instances of tragic stories like the ones encountered in my family. Do not ever take driving lightly. It is not just a skill. It is a responsibility.