Safeteen Driving

Safeteen Driving

Kurt Comber

For most teenagers like myself, getting behind the wheel of an automobile is the first taste of freedom. Unfortunately, with the eagerness to drive and be free, safety and caution are not always a first thought. Even though teens go through drivers ed classes in school and take a driver’s test, its quickly forgotten when they get in the car. After passing their tests, many new drivers become overconfident and think they know all there is to know about driving with no experience. They think accidents cannot happen to them. They neglect to wear their seat belts, do not pay attention, and use their phones. There is also a lot of peer pressure for new drivers to go fast, drive while under the influence, and take unnecessary risk where the classes they took are not followed. It is important that drivers ed be ongoing while teens have their provisional licenses to reduce accidents and, deaths. Classes should include situations that new drivers may have encountered so they know how to handle them like safe distancing, predicting actions of other drivers, and ignoring noisy passengers. Simulated situations to test drivers focus and reaction times will help them understand how quick they to react and the need to maintain constant focus. Classes should also focus on the high-risk groups such as male drivers 16-19 years old who have 2 times the number of deaths than female drivers and new drivers 16 -17 years old who have 1.5 times the number of fatalities than 18-19 year olds. Having on going, focused training and simulations for new drivers is one way to reduce the number of deaths, another is with newer technologies.

A device which can disable cellular and wireless services in the car can prevent drivers from using their phones while driving to focus on the road ahead. Sensors in seats that can sense when there are multiple passengers which can limit and announce speed, limit radio volume, enable proximity braking and lane change correction so drivers are not distracted by friends and noise. Having cars with these technologies can definitely reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

Fortunately, I have not experienced a car accident yet, seeing one of my best friends in an accident made me realize just how dangerous driving can be. Having friends with fast cars who like to race and one friend who lost his license due to drinking and driving remind me to always put on my seatbelt, put my phone away, always pay attention and look in all my mirrors to know what’s around me. Being an Eagle Scout, many of my friends look to me on how to act, so I make it a point to show them what I do when driving. I offer to be a designated driver. If I see an article about a teen accident, I can share it among my friends to remind them to put on seatbelts, pay attention and follow the speed limit.