Several teenagers will die today in the vehicles that they were so excited to independently drive. These teens were involved in motor vehicle collisions caused by novice driver behaviors. These teens were drinking and driving. These teens maybe took a pain pill and jumped behind the wheel of a care with confidence when they shouldn’t have. These teens were looking for their favorite song on Spotify and sharing a picture of their favorite iced coffee on Instagram while driving.  In 2020, it was estimated that 8 teens died each day in a motor vehicle collision. A vehicle is more likely to take a teenager's life than any other injury or disease which makes it the most important public issue for young people today. Drivers education provides the knowledge of traffic rules and the importance of driver safety that will instill confidence and skill to a new driver and prevent accidents and death. 

The newfound freedom to go anywhere on your own is thrilling to a teenager. Pushing limits of speed and having more access to drugs and alcohol is also thrilling to teenagers, yet problematic to public safety. If you add the distraction of social media to a high and drunk speeding teenager, death and destruction will ultimately ensue. It is sad when young people have to learn the hard way that they can lose their license or even their lives due to poor decision making or novice driving skills. Young people often believe they are immune to injury or death so it would also be helpful to inform them that traffic fines and jail time are also real consequences that can affect them and their future. 

Drivers education should be mandatory in all states to ensure teenagers are appropriately educated on traffic rules and safety. There are 18 states that do not require formal drivers education to get a drivers license. Not all children have responsible adults in their lives to teach them the dangers of driving which could be detrimental to them and others on the road. The driving standards that are taught by drivers ed and the monitored driving sessions provides quality experience for these new drivers. 

Hands-free driving laws in all states would also provide restrictions to teenagers and decrease accidents while driving. There are 19 states that do not have laws that prohibit the use of handheld devices while behind the wheel. When teenagers are caught driving while using their devices in restricted states, they should be responsible for paying the fines. Parents should also have discussions with their children about not using their phones while driving. They should have strict rules about this and consequences if these rules are broken. Parents can consider having their child sign a contract never to use a handheld device while driving which may make the teen take the issue more seriously and ultimately keep them more safe. There are some vehicles that do not allow certain applications to be used while driving which is a good feature that supports safe focused driving. 

Schools can promote safe driving by dedicating a day to young lives lost to motor vehicle collisions. The schools could honor these teenagers by inviting their families to speak out about the details that caused the accidents to provide proof of the danger of distracted or impaired driving. The schools could also collaborate with members of Drug Abuse Resistance Education and Mothers Against Drunk Driving to help raise awareness about the dangers of peer pressure, substance abuse, and impaired driving. Schools could have students attend local trauma symposiums held by local hospitals where people are educated on common injuries from accidents and how to prevent them. 

Communities can support driver safety by organizing similar events that educate the public about the importance of safe driving by wearing seatbelts, refraining from distractions, and abstaining from alcohol and drugs. This event could be held at a booth during a Saturday farmer’s market. The event could also be held on its own with the assistance of local emergency medical services, police officers, and firemen that can discuss real life tragedies that were witnessed that could have been prevented by better education and support of new drivers. 

I can personally relate to the struggles teens experience with poor decision making on the road. In the rural area where I live, driving under the influence or while distracted has become very normalized. The day after every football game, I would hear about some of my classmates driving home drunk, or I would see my friends texting and driving while bringing me places. Eventually this behavior turned tragic. In 2023 a girl two years older than me was driving home from a New Year’s party and was struck and killed by a drunk driver. She was completely sober and was just driving some friends home but she was the one killed. This goes to show how even if you make the right choices yourself, it is just as important that your community practices safe driving habits, as well. It is vital that teens are educated through the utilization of drivers education on how to be smart and safe on the road so that they have the opportunity to become responsible members of the community.