16th birthdays are symbolic for a teen for many reasons, the primary being that, in most US states, 16-year-olds can drive. Driving gives teens a newfound feeling of independence and control. With the power of a driver’s license comes responsibility. But is this responsibility always upheld?
The CDC studies show that the majority of drivers involved in car accidents are in their teens. Teens tend to get easily distracted and have less experience on the road than older drivers. Carelessness and inexperience of teen drivers lead to crashes.
One teen driver under the pseudonym Jane shared, “I get really distracted” and “I miss when the light turns green” as a result of phone usage while driving. Jane also said that “a lot of people just don’t pay attention.” The majority of teen drivers who were interviewed said that they also use their phones while on the road. Drive Safe Online reported that 14% of car crashes are a result of the driver being distracted which includes phone usage.
Another teen driver under the pseudonym James said, “I learned how to avoid distraction while I’m driving because of all of my driving lessons.” He continued, “I had twenty hours of lessons where my instructor would talk to me so that I could figure out how to stay focused on the road.”
Inexperience on the road can be extremely dangerous, especially when a driver has a false sense of confidence in their abilities. Business Insider observed that 73% of drivers believe that they are better than the average driver. Almost all of the teen drivers who were interviewed said that they believe that they are good drivers. Is this true?
If you are becoming a teen driver in the near future, make sure your amount of experience is in line with your level of confidence.