The safety of drivers is an ongoing issue in the world, specifically teenage drivers who may be unprepared and uneducated about the road. Without the proper enforcement of driver's education and reliable driving permit courses, teenagers can skirt on the road for the first time almost completely surprised by the dangers of driving. Specifically, Florida law allows freshly fifteen-year-olds to possess a permit with only the passage of an online drug and alcohol course and a basic digital test that solely relies on the common sense of the taker. As a Floridian I have witnessed first-hand the detrimental effects of these policies, with many teens, including some people I know, being unprepared for their license when they turn sixteen but being able to get it regardless.
As well as not being ready for the responsibility of driving, many teenagers fall victim to distractions. The obvious examples are cell phones. With this generation of “screenagers” being notorious for not wanting to put their devices down, they are also stereotyped as constantly using their phones while driving. While this may be true, car manufacturers certainly do not make it hard for us to be distracted, with recent developments of apple CarPlay connecting phones to car displays allowing the use of phone apps while on the road. Along with the ability of Bluetooth allowing teens to play the Spotify playlists they know every word to. These digital advancements allow the possibility of distraction to skyrocket.
Even the teens who do not consider using their phone while driving face the consequences of becoming distracted through the very real threat of peer pressure. When a high schooler wants to look cool in front of their peers, they become more flexible with their view on what is right or wrong. If a teen is driving and their peers want them to turn the music all the way up, most of them will succumb to the pressure and end up blasting their music. If a teen is driving and their peers want them to check a text on their phone, most of them will succumb to the pressure and end up scrolling on social media for the entire drive. If a teen is driving and their peers are involved in a conversation, most of them will succumb to the pressure and lose focus on the road.
These challenges seem numerous and undeniable but they can be overcome, if a teen takes a proper drivers education course they become more experienced, if a teen decides to turn their phone onto driving mode when they get in the car the distraction goes away, if a teen decides to ignore their peers and pick safety over social acceptance they are less likely to succumb to peer pressure.
I have a friend who is never the most focused driving, she is always blasting her music, checking her texts while driving without care in the world. One time we were at a waterpark for my birthday, while there we had to park in the back lot, and she failed to notice the giant log acting as a barrier in front of the parking spot. As she began to pull forward to leave the park she ran straight into the log and got her mom’s car stuck. It took me, her, our two friends, and two more strangers to push the car out from under the log. Another time, she was backing out of the school parking lot and not paying attention to the car parked opposite her doing the same thing, and they collided.
I love this friend. I will not get in a car with her again. As far as I am concerned, she is lucky these are the extent of her accidents so far. If she does not learn how to become less distracted while driving, I worry about her life.
Since teens like this will continue to exist throughout the country it is important more mature people help prevent the spread of inexperienced drivers. Schools can create mandatory drivers' education programs as an elective to graduate. This way every driver, not just the parent-trained kids, receives one-on-one driving experience. Communities can enact permit tests to be taken not digitally but, in the DMV, to ensure there is no cheating. As well as adding a written test to the driving test so the sixteen-year-olds attempting to have their license are guaranteed educated drivers.
With enough precautions in place, perhaps the number of teen driving accidents will go down, creating a safer environment on the roads for everyone.