BY VIRGINIA PENIAS
As teenagers, we all have things we need to do and places we need to go. At age 16, kids are able to become licensed drivers and take to the roads independently. But in reality, how many teenagers are actually prepared to drive on the road? According to rmiia.org, 16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age. Teens are more prone to accidents due to distractions that can be avoided. Drinking and driving, texting, and racing are a few of the things some young new drivers tend to do behind the wheel that prove how unsafe operating a motor vehicle can be.
It’s no secret that high school is a time of exposure to drugs and alcohol for most kids. These substances that you put in your body not only impair your health, but also your ability to drive. The first thing that’s affected when under the influence is your judgment. Needless to say, the right choices can’t be made when driving after consuming alcohol, smoking, or popping pills. According to edgarsnyder.com, 26 percent of drunk driving deaths in 2011 were in the 16-20 age group. Some teens are responsible enough to call for a ride home if they’re drunk or high, but sometimes when judgment is affected, teens think they are okay to drive home on their own. Drinking and smoking causes things to seem like something they’re not, basically like a huge optical illusion until sober again and it’s easy to mistake a straight road for one that’s turning, possibly leading to an accident.
Many kids center their entire lives around their cellphones. Social media updates and texting are big things for kids, but are they important enough to risk your life over behind the wheel? Looking down at your phone for even a second can cause you to crash. Every second, cars switch lanes, and people cross the street. Not to mention an animal crossing the road, or cars slowing down to turn. Focusing on your phone instead of the road is very dangerous and it risks the lives of yourself and others.
Video games like Need For Speed and Grand Theft Auto are racing games. In the games, you can drive as fast as you want, wherever you want without obeying any road rules. With such a large influence such as these games, teens are more likely to speed and drive recklessly whether it’s to show off to others or for their own enjoyment. According to www.nhra.net, 7,216 citations were issued for racing on the highway in Florida in 2001. Nationwide statistics show that 49 people are injured for every 1,000 who participate in illegal street racing.
Driving puts lives on the line and it is something that needs to be taken seriously. Many teens take advantage of being behind the wheel and they endanger their lives as well as other drivers. Unfortunately, teen car accidents are pretty common. Almost everybody knows of somebody that has been involved, and possibly died in a car accident. Teen driving accidents are a great tragedy and can be prevented by staying safe on the road and making the right choices.
