Teen Driving: Major Concern?

Whenever a horrible accident happens our brains ask two things: 1: Grandma? or 2: Teenager?. A new study from Washington has showed that teenage drivers in their first month are 50% more likely to crash than if they are driving past their 1 year mark. Increasing numbers of teens in crashes have led some states to begin placing more laws on young teen drivers including who can be in the car with them and when. These laws are all geared to make the roads safer for everyone, but are they really helping?

Many crashes occur when teens are distractedly driving, texting, calling, tweeting, facebooking or singing obnoxiously to the radio. However, it is true that young drivers simply get in more accidents because they aren't used to reacting instead of acting. Drivers Ed courses teach you strictly how to pilot your own car, and how to make good decisions while driving your own vehicle. But many young teens find themselves in a fender bender when someone cuts them off and they don't stomp on the break. Driving is half acting and half re-acting. Young and inexperienced drivers don't know the tricks of the trade per-say. They don't know that you have to check MULTIPLE times before lane changing because the person behind you might not just let you in; or knowing that just because someone is driving with their blinker on doesn't mean they are actually turning. Young drivers simply don't understand the practice of checking AND re-checking! Accidents happen to everyone though, which is something that is important to remember: they don't happen only to women, or only to asians or only to teen drivers. Sometimes two people are in the wrong place at the wrong time and make the wrong decision.

It is important however, to practice safe driving while in the car by yourself. No talking or texting on cell phones, or fiddling with the radio. It is also important to remind friends and family constantly that it is a terrible idea to drive distractedly. Although young teens are inexperienced and sometimes annoying drivers, it is important to help them out with the rules of the road and occassionally keep an extra eye peeled in case they do make a bad decision!