Trying to Catch Me Riding Dirty

After a kid reaches a certain age, some attributes start to creep up.

For one, they become interested in the opposite sex; depending on the kid, some are more interested than others. They become obsessed with being behind the wheel of a car. And, they tend to become more interested in drinking alcoholic beverages and/or doing other drugs. While each of these poses their own threats to a teenager’s well being, it is when the last two are combined we see lives drastically affected for the worse.

There are multiple organizations doing their best to not just slow down drinking and driving, but to put a stop to it all together. Amongst these groups is the MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. MADD has launched a campaign trying to effect laws that would help prevent drinking and driving.  The negative affects that drinking does to an adult’s ability to drive; is a lot worse when it is a teen in the driver’s seat.

Studies show drivers under the age of 21 are twice as likely to be involved in fatal accidents involving alcohol as drivers over of 21.  Motor vehicle accidents are already the leading cause of deaths among teens. So when the dangers that come along naturally with driving are combined with the affects of drinking, how can it possibly end well?

The answer to that question is that it can’t. I’ve known people who swear they drive better drunk than they do sober, but the fact of the matter is that it is not possible.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, 50 percent of drivers 16 years or older who have drank alcohol has refrained from driving at least one time.  That is not good enough.

Every year there are thousands of teenage drivers who lose their lives because of mistakes they make behind the wheel of a vehicle. There are too many things that can go wrong while driving without adding alcohol to the mix.

To all drivers, young and old, just remember this every time behind the wheel, tomorrow is never promised, so why jeopardize today?

I’m Going to Have to Call You Back

Growing up, my mom always had a set of rules for my brother and me. We had to be in bed by 9 p.m. on school nights. We couldn’t do anything all weekend if we missed school on Fridays. No cell phone until the age of 16 years old, no exceptions. But as the time has gone by, kids seem to live by a different set of rules.

According to the CTIA, the International Association for Wireless Telecommunications Industry, four out of five teenagers own cell phones.  The increasing percentage of kids with cell phones has its practical purposes, of course.

Similar to my mom’s thinking, many parents feel it is crucial for a teenager who just got his or her license to have a cell phone just in case anything would happen while driving. But should a cell phone be the top priority for a new driver?

Research shows that a teenager on a cell phone has the same reaction time as a 70 year old man, according to CTSC, Community Traffic Safety Coalition. This being said, it can be assumed a cell phone is most likely the last accessory that a new driver should receive.

Automotive accidents take more teenage lives than any other incident. Studies show that cell phone use contributes to an estimated 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. These daunting numbers has greatly influenced the passing of a law in many states that makes it illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to talk on their cell phones while driving.

Though this law is being met by an abundance of protests from teenagers, it has the capability of being an effective way of keeping teenage drivers more alert behind the wheel. Yes, there are still plenty of distractions that can prevent drivers from giving the road their undivided attention, but eliminating one of those distractions can work wonders.

Teenagers tend to live and die by their cell phones. It is considered a tragedy when the battery runs out or if it takes a person too long to text back. But when it comes down to it, staying off the phone while behind the wheel could prevent tragedies of a totally different degree.

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