Careless Drivers

Finally obtaining your license is one of the most exciting things that can happen to a teen. The ability to drive is one of the most anticipated moments in any kids mind, that is until we get behind the wheel of a car and face the obstacles of driving safely. As time passes on we get too confident in our own ability to drive our cars. We begin to get careless and are not as concerned with keeping our eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel. Florida teen driving statistics stated “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers”. Many of today’s drivers have dangerous habits, which include speeding, carelessness, and cell phone use. A study in May 2001, by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, found that the most common distractions were cell phone use, eating and drinking, and adjusting a CD or the radio. Everyday we hear about unfortunate teen deaths in car accidents that could have been avoided. The Florida department of transportation reported that sixteen year olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age and that they are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers. Even if you drive reckless and nothing bad happens there will still be consequences, there are always consequences. On August 24, 2007 Two Port St Lucie teenagers were arrested and charged with culpable negligence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child abuse after detectives linked them to a YouTube video called "Ghost Riding the Whip". In the video three teens and one child jumped out of their moving car and began to dance on the hood, trunk and doors of a four-door Chevrolet Cavalier. The three teens from the video are very close friends of mine and even though I disagree with the charges being charged, I believe that it was wrong for them to drive recklessly because someone could have gotten seriously hurt. Ultimately the charges were dropped and the teens were released but they all learned a