How To Prevent Teenage Driving Accidents

One of the most notable, yet most disappointing things that our generation is known for is our short attention span. In a society where screens dominate our lives, and teenagers can be found constantly scrolling through social media, it is no surprise to anyone that teenagers in this era very easily lose focus and interest in activities. Because of this, adolescents have developed a bad habit of pulling out a phone, almost subconsciously, at almost any time, no matter the location or situation. It is because of this bad habit that a notable amount of teenagers have been found texting and using social media while driving, and more often than not, this unfortunately results in many vehicle collisions, which in most cases result in fatalities. Most everyone can agree that we must put a stop to the distracted driving that is affecting affecting teenagers nationwide, and the sooner a solution is found, the better. One manner this can be achieved is by implementing speed trackers into phones and apps. By utilizing this feature that is already available in most modern smartphones, the phone can disable itself from being used by the driver, which as a result would return the driver’s focus back onto the road. Automatic messages could be sent back to users who attempt to message the driver through social media or texting, informing them that the person they are attempting to contact is currently driving, and to not bother them further until they have arrived at their location. While this may come as a nuisance to teenagers, it would certainly be an effective possibility of preventing them from using their phones while driving, and a little annoyance from teenage phone users is a fair trade off when lives are on the line. An alternative method that could stifle the growing number of dangerous driving habits amongst teenagers is informing them of the terrible consequences that they could face if they are distracted on the road. High schools could bring in public speakers to inform students about the statistics and true stories of teenagers who chose to text and drive, and what happened as a result of their choices. Students would learn that the least of the consequences that they would face after texting and driving is that they would receive a ticket or possibly jail time for breaking the law. But they would also be informed that they would be lucky to receive this consequence, as most teenage texting and driving incidents result in accidents and fatalities. Tips could also be given to students to give them less incentive to pull out their phone during driving, such as completing any conversations with anyone they were speaking with before getting behind the wheel, and making sure they have clear directions to their destination so that they do not need to find an app that will give them directions while on the road. This method would be effective, because studies show that sixteen to twenty-four year old drivers have the highest percentage of cell phone use. If this method was also implemented into middle schools, this could help the issue being prevented before it can begin. After learning all the facts and statistics associated with texting and using social media while driving, many teenagers will make sure to second guess the next time they feel the urge to pull out their phone while in the driver’s seat.