In the Driver’s Seat

Being able to jump in a car, go anywhere, and have lots of fun, is part of every teenager’s dreams. What could be wrong with that? Well, it is the last part of this statement that holds the greatest risks. A motor vehicle is over two tons of heavy machinery that becomes a potent weapon when it is hurtling down a road at high speed. As many driver’s education courses make clear, the force of impact increases exponentially with the increase of speed. When the speed of a car is doubled, the force of impact is four times greater; likewise, a tripling of the speed yields a force multiplier of nine times. Driving is no game. The stakes become even higher when distractions are introduced (e.g. multiple passengers, electronic devices, etc.). Given the lack of driving experience teenagers have, as well as the impulsive nature most possess, a heightened sense of awareness and responsibility is essential for the safety of the driver, passengers, and those around the vehicle.

The average annual number of deaths related to motor vehicles in the U.S. is staggering: 34,000 as of the most recent data. Deadly accidents involving teens are even worse, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealing that teen drivers average less than 7% of the driving population but over 13% of drivers involved in deadly crashes. The NTSB recommends three components to safer teen driving: 1) learner’s permit and intermediate licensing stages with mandatory holding periods, 2) limited driving hours during the day and a limited number of teen passengers in the car during the intermediate stages, and 3) prohibiting the use of interactive wireless devices by drivers in both stages.

These are excellent suggestions, as distracted driving is a major component of accidents, and lack of sufficient training and experience the other. When a group of friends get together they usually start joking around, or even just talking. This can distract the driver from paying attention to the speed of the car, other vehicles on the road, and pedestrians crossing the streets. Likewise, if a driver is busy carrying on a phone conversation, looking up a number, or texting a friend while driving, the same lack of attention sets in. As a passenger, I have seen cars swerving on the expressway, only to then see the driver staring at a phone. As a complement to the prevention of distractions, good driver education is a proactive step to safer driving. When practicing traffic laws while driving under the guidance of an adult for a year or two, a teen driver is sure to remember those laws more effectively than just taking a test and driving away alone.

Fortunately, I have never witnessed a major traffic accident. But my father has told me of two people whose lives were changed forever by irresponsible behavior in a vehicle. The first was a high school classmate of his who went on a road trip with some friends. She was in the passenger seat and placed her leg on the dashboard. The driver seems to have been distracted in some way and the car collided with a tree. Although the driver had his seatbelt on, and survived the accident, the mangled dashboard resulted in her losing the leg to an amputation. The second person is a coworker who is in a wheelchair. Years ago, she was also on a road trip with some friends at night. She did not see what happened, because she was sleeping in the back seat. But the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel, drove off the road, and the car rolled over. She was ejected from the vehicle and it resulted in her being paralyzed from the waist down. These stories are shocking enough to scare any person into greater awareness of driver safety.

Now that I am setting forth on my journey as a new driver, I take all of this information to heart. The fear that I can end someone’s life, or even alter it beyond recognition due to a major injury, causes me to want to avoid distractions, be patient while driving, and learn the traffic laws thoroughly. Likewise, another irresponsible driver can do the same to me or my passengers. This means I have to drive defensively and try to gauge other drivers’ behavior as if they would do me harm. I can even instruct other drivers that I know on the correct way to drive and how to best follow the rules of the road. While this may not always be popular, or even welcome, it is far better to try to change someone’s dangerous behavior than to just hope a catastrophe will not happen. I truly look forward to many years of driving and enjoying the sense of freedom that comes with car travel. But this freedom must be tempered with a sense of responsibility, lest I be the cause or victim of a tragic accident.