Photo Essay
Nate Toney
Driving Young
Texting
When you are younger you are obviously less mature. Younger people may not understand the dangers of texting and driving. Also teenagers have a lot to text about and it is hard for them, in their mind, to put down the phone for however long they are driving.
Speeding
Adrenaline rushes are the only thing on teens minds. Going fast is one way to achieve that feeling easily. Speeding is very easily done and it is also very dangerous and teens don't realize how a car can get out of control very quickly when it is traveling at speeds more than the speed limits. They don't respect the fact that engineers and scientists researched the speed limits and that's the speed you should go.
Eating
Teens love to eat because they are growing. Eating is one of the most distracting things to do while driving. It not only takes both eyes off the wheel it also can take both hands off of the wheel. This limits many reflexes and is very dangerous and teens always have to eat!
Seatbelt
The seat belt is the toughest thing in a car to convince a teen that it will save your lives. Most of the kids think that its not cool to wear your seat belt but in all reality it's cool to be alive and not to be dead. Seat belts are a huge reason to be older to drive. The kids do not realize that just because it's a pain that it is the most important safety feature in a car.
Friends
Most 16 and 17 year old teens want to show off in front of their friends because they think that is what makes them "cool," Showing off for friends is often very distracting. They all want to be the coolest and they want you to notice them and that will pull your eyes off of the road. Also teens do stupid things so anything a passenger does that is illegal falls back on the driver.
Respect
Most teens do not respect the other drivers on the road which makes them very dangerous on the road. If they don't respect what a car can do then how are they going to be safe and courteous on the roads. This causes road rage and can result in an accident. Respect is a huge issue for teens driving.
No Shoes
This shouldn't have to be a problem but no shoes leads to more accidents then you think. Most teens are very lazy and laziness can cause problems. If you are driving a long way or you just don't want to put your shoes on this causes a very dangerous situation. Socks are much more slippery then shoes which instead of pressing the brakes you could slide off and push the gas.
Radio
Music is a big part of teenagers lives. It can set the mood in a room or in this case a car! This can go back to the friends situation. You try to be cool and turn up the radio but all you're doing is causing another distraction. Also some kids take driving as a fun time so they "turn up" in the car by jamming the music. Be mature and turn the music down.
Driving Young
The reasons the driving age should change is obvious but in case you needed a few reminders check over this essay. The road is not a place for kids having fun and hanging out with your friends. It's for getting from one place to another quickly and safely and lets face it there are a lot of accidents involving teens.