At Arvada West High School, cars can be seen buzzing through the lot, with about half of these cars being driven by students at the school between the ages of 16 and 18. While the parking lot can be a place of chaos for these drivers, it also provides a useful lesson in driving.
According to Bankrate, teenage drivers aged 15-19 make up about 4% of those who drive in the US, yet in the state of Colorado they make up 15% of those involved in fatal crashes. It’s a rite of passage for many high schoolers to get their license or even their permit. Driving gives teens more opportunities for freedom; however, new drivers also take on the responsibility of driving themselves to school. With so many students who have been driving for small amounts of time, the school’s parking lot can get a little crazy.
Brad Mulvaney, one of the school’s deans, attributes most crashes in the lot to parking to it be backing in or out of parking spots, stating, “I know a lot of our kids love to back into their parking spot, which I understand is easier to pull out, but then they wreck backing in and hit the front of another car.”
Crashes in the parking lot happen only occasionally, and when they do, they often cause minimal damage. However, with so many teens new to driving and even some that aren’t very new, it can still get a little chaotic in the rush to avoid being late or getting stuck in traffic.
Even though only a small percentage of teen drivers often use their phones while driving, most students may check it occasionally at a stop. Mulvaney wants teen drivers to know that it’s never worth it, sharing the message, “Safety first. A phone call, a text message, or a Snapchat can always wait. You know that an accident can happen so quickly.”
Emphasizing Mulvaney’s message, the Department of Transportation reports that in the US in 2021 around 3,500 people were killed and 362,000 people were injured in accidents that involved distracted drivers. Even for teen drivers who don’t drive distracted, it’s still very important for them to pay attention to the road and watch out for other distracted drivers that could get them involved in an accident.
A good way for new drivers to learn to pay attention to the road is by taking driving classes such as those offered at Coastline Academy formerly known as Arvada Driving School.) The academy is a sponsor of A-West’s athletic programs and offers classes and tests so teens can be fully prepared to drive when they get on the road.
Casey Coons, who works at the driving school, spoke about the classes they offer, explaining, “When doing behind-the-wheel lessons, students are with a trained instructor, have lots of visible signage on the cars, and the instructor has their own brake and additional rear-view mirror.”
Coons also pointed out how classes are generally more effective for new drivers in comparison to learning from their parents
since teens can pick up bad habits from them and maybe not be paying full attention.
At the end of the day, whether students can drive already or are just beginning to learn, it’s always important to make sure that they’re prepared to be on the road and pay full attention when they can drive.
