Teen driving

by Lizz Mazzatenta

Being in high school, you hear about more people getting their license every day. You see them flaunting it, and bragging. They talk about the car their parents bought them like 6 months prior, and how proud they were to drive themselves to school for the first time.

          What most teens know, but don't fully understand is that with great power comes great responsibility. Did you know the traffic accident rates for 16- to 19-year old drivers are higher than those for any other age group?

          Being a new driver herself, sophomore Payton Baumgardner said, “The dangers of being a new driver are plentiful. Not only do you have to watch your driving, but you have to watch other people around you. You can never be too careful, especially if you're just starting out”.

          It is a proven fact that the average attention span of a teenager is shorter than that of an adult's. 80% of accidents happen due to distractions, and teens make up a big portion of that percentage.

          Statistics show 34% of teen drivers have texted while driving and 52% have talked on the phone while driving. Also, teenagers tend to take more risks while driving partly due to their overconfidence in their driving abilities. Young novice drivers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, violating traffic signs and signals, making illegal turns, passing dangerously, and failure to yield to pedestrians.

          Armed with this deadly information, think about how often you also hear about your friends or a classmate getting into an accident. While you consider that, think about the rumors you heard regarding why they got into an accident. Most of the time, it's because of one of the factors listed above. Don't the statistics seem a little true?

          It has been preached, broadcasted, and repeated over and over again but teens, especially newer drivers, should take all of these facts into consideration and possibly reevaluate their driving strategies. If they don't, they might end up being the reason other students are late for class.