How many teenagers who go out on a drive actually come back? The very sad truth shows that more than 3,000 teens died due to reckless driving in 2006. Reckless teen driving has become more of an issue in our time. With all the new technology and cars, teenagers are more eager to get their license and feel “free.”

Before being able to get a license one must go through driver’s education and behind-the-wheel training if one is under the age of 18. Of course safe driving is well taught in these programs but that does not mean that the teenagers actually absorb and comprehend what they are being taught.

Being a teenager I know that most teens aren’t exactly interested in safety or “the rules.” In our minds rules are made to be broken. Driving is a new experience and makes teenagers feel invincible and on top of the world.

Obviously, not all teenagers are reckless and irresponsible; unfortunately, most people assume they are. These irresponsible teens ruin the benefits of driving for those who will not abuse it.

Teens do not realize the true dangers of reckless driving until someone they care for is in an accident or if they themselves are in an accident. Unfortunately, their epiphany comes too late.

New laws are being made to keep teens safe but are they really serving their purpose? In California, laws banning cell phone use while driving have been proposed but never fully passed. Cell phone usage while driving is one of the main causes of accidents right after alcohol.

Many other laws regarding teen driving already exist and are supposed to be in effect. For example, a new driver with a license cannot drive other teens unless related to them and with a signed note. This law’s purpose is to prevent the teen driver from becoming distracted by the passengers. Despite the fact that this is a law, it has not been enforced as strongly as it should be. For the first offense you get your license suspended for just 30 days and for the second offense the punishment is doubled to 60 days and so on. This punishment rarely makes teens “learn their lesson.”

To make matters worse, young people are seeing celebrities like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton driving with suspended licenses and driving on the wrong side of the road or even driving with children or pets on their laps. This only gives teens an excuse to say that if Hollywood is doing it than why can’t I?

There is very little that the government and police can do to decrease the amount of reckless teen drivers on the road. As long as teens are aware of reckless driving and know how to drive in a safe manner then it is up to them on how they use their skills. The bottom line is that there is no way to completely eliminate reckless driving. Instead, before giving a teen a drivers license, it should be the responsibility of the DMV and the parents to make sure that the teen is ready and mature enough to handle such a huge responsibility that not only effects them but also everyone around them.