It was an unremarkable Saturday. Me and my parents were watching a comedy show, laughing and chatting, sunlight filtering through the window and onto our cheerful faces. My mothers phone rang, and she answered the call, her smile quickly fading as we heard my brother’s desperate voice on the other end. “We got into an accident. My head is bleeding. Come quickly.” I will never forget how my mother screamed at that moment, sobbing hysterically on the phone with the woman who had been driving. My own brain was racing, picturing all the ways my brother could be injured or bleeding or in pain. We piled into our car, driving to the highway to pick up my brother.
That morning, we had dropped him off at a friend’s house for his birthday party, where he and seven other boys (including the birthday boy) rode in his mom’s minivan to a laser tag place. On the freeway, a car behind the minivan, whose driver was no doubt in a rush, decided that his speed was more important than the safety of the drivers around him. Said car swerved around and in front of the minivan, causing the minivan, with 7 children inside, to drive into a ditch, where it flipped 4 or 5 times before coming to a stop on its side. Had any of those boys not been wearing their seatbelt, that accident likely would have ended very differently. Luckily, all passengers walked away from the accident, with only one boy requiring stitches from broken glass (it was his blood on my brother’s ear) and another with a concussion. Yet, the terror of that situation left my brother an anxious mess in car rides and gave me the resolve to be the safest driver I can be.
Unfortunately, due to the culture of driving in the United States, and especially where I live in California, it is very common to encounter poor drivers, including teen drivers. I myself have been learning to drive with the help of my dad, who is an excellent driver, and have received my drivers license as of yesterday. This has only been possible as a result of an abundance of free time over summer vacation, my dad having the ability to take the time to teach me, and plenty of roads to practice on. Getting my license has been more of a necessary measure rather than one I wanted, as I live in the suburbs and there are no walkable places where I can spend time with my friends. I believe that these circumstances may be facilitating the epidemic of unsafe driving among teens, for various reasons including a lack of walkable spaces, financial constraints, and early morning schools.
Many teenagers get their drivers license as soon as legally possible, not because they want a license, but because they need to be able to drive themselves. Parents who are busy working are unable to drive their teens to sports meets, afterschool activities, friend’s homes, or other places, so the teen has to learn to drive in order to continue these activities. As such, even if they are an unsafe driver or do not feel comfortable driving, a lack of public transportation coupled with few walkable areas forces them on the road in order for them to maintain a social life. This directly contributes to the teen unsafe driving problem, as teenagers who are new or dangerous drivers are forced onto the road anytime they want to leave their house to do an activity which is not walking distance from their house, which happens to be most activities. Similarly, due to the necessity of getting up early for school or work, young teens are driving themselves in a sleep-deprived state, which is the equivalent of driving under the influence and is incredibly unsafe for everyone on the road.
Similarly, many teens are not good drivers due to a lack of public driving resources. I only completed one driving lesson with a certified instructor due to the cost, yet was privileged enough to have a father with enough driving talent and free time to teach me to drive safely. Many teenagers do not have that privilege, and the schools in my district unfortunately do not offer Drivers Education classes for disadvantaged teens. I believe it would be very beneficial for companies such as the National Driving and Traffic School to collaborate with schools, libraries, and other community resources to provide free or cheaper driving lessons to teenagers who may not have the opportunity to learn to drive from their parents. This allows said instructors to teach the teens safer driving habits rather than potentially dangerous or illegal habits, such as rolling stops or ignoring stop signs. Through this sort of community collaboration, the roads can become safer for teenagers and adults alike.
Due to the heavy reliance on driving in America, many teenagers are driving on the road before they are ready, which can cause safety concerns. Even teenagers who are poor drivers or are not comfortable driving may be forced to get on the road since very few cities are walkable. By providing more public resources through schools and communities, teenagers can learn and gain good habits from proper driving instructors rather than inexperienced parents or friends, so that they can safely drive to places. Similarly, increasing the use of public transportation or safe sidewalks and bike lanes can allow teens to get to outside places safely until they are comfortable driving, preventing unsafe drivers from entering the road altogether. I believe that we can work as a community to make roads safer for all drivers.