Leading Cause of Death in Teenagers: Accidents

According to the Centers for Disease Control, accidents are the number one cause of teenage deaths; motor vehicle accidents account for 50%. This statistic is extremely tragic, as becoming a driver is an exciting accomplishment for every teenager, yet it can lead to their cause of death. Teenagers are often distracted by the newfound freedom of driving and frequently believe they are invincible to accidents. However, this is far from the case. Driver education is essential to teaching teenagers the importance of safe driving habits. Additionally, increasing PSAs about texting and driving from the perspective of teenagers involved in motor vehicle accidents would reach more teenagers as it is a story told by their peers.

Throughout my life, my parents have taught me and my siblings about the stark dangers of driving. They would share stories of teens killed by drunk driving, reckless driving, and texting while driving to give us real-life examples of how dangerous driving can be. However, not all parents drill these lessons into their children. Therefore, driver’s education is a strong tool to teach all teenagers the lessons my parents once taught me. Driver’s Education is a great program where licensed driving instructors teach weekly classes to budding teenagers about the severity of getting behind the wheel and the road rules. They also get in the car with students to teach them proper driving techniques, which family members may forget to enforce. Learning good driving techniques and road rules encourages lifelong safe driving habits for student drivers, decreasing the death toll of teenage accidents.

Today most teenagers have a phone, and we are all very addicted to it. Whether it be TikTok or YouTube, some app on our phone has consumed all our attention. While it may release some dopamine, this addiction can lead to severe consequences, such as texting and driving. No matter how good of a driver you think you are, a split-second delay can change your life, and I have been there.

At 18, I got my license, a little more delayed than the rest of my friends, but it took a long time to overcome that anxiety of being behind a vehicle that held so much responsibility. I passed my test first try, and as I drove more, I felt more confident in myself, and those anxieties I once had about the “what if’s” in driving seemed to slip my mind until February 28, 2022, when my fears came true. I was driving home from a restaurant where I had picked up dinner for my family when a woman on her phone t-boned me as I went through an intersection. I can still remember that moment as if it played out in slow motion, my heart and mind racing to figure out how to react when BOOM! Impact. Thankfully both me and the driver were not physically impacted by this accident, besides a few sore muscles on my end from the collision; however, for the coming months, I was plagued with this crippling anxiety of driving again as I realized I had no control over what other drivers did.

It took months of therapy and encouragement from loved ones to get behind the wheel again—but today, I can get back on the road. I still have those fits of anxiety occasionally, but I try to do my best to advocate for safe, text-free driving to my friends, family, and peers by sharing my own story. I always tell people that if they need to text back, pull over, or if you have a passenger with you, ask them to send that text to you. Also, today many cars have Apple CarPlay, so if it is urgent to get ahold of that person, ask Siri to call them via the speaker on Apple CarPlay. There is no need to take your eyes off the road while operating a vehicle that kills you or others. No text message will ever my as important as human life.

My story, and others like it, have the potential to be effective PSAs. Teenagers tend to blow off adults’ advice as they feel they are just ‘overdramatic’ and ‘too worried.’ Conversely, a friend and other teenage peers are more relatable and trustworthy. It is also important that these PSAs are out across all social media platforms where teenagers spend most of their time, making them more likely to see these messages. We must do more to reach our teenage drivers to prevent accidents like mine, especially when they can be prevented and save lives.