Wreck the Tech: Why Self-Driving Cars Could Save Our Teens

Welcome back to the Just Stuff Podcast blog! If you've been tuning in, you know we cover a little bit of everything—current events, life advice, and whatever else is on our minds. But today's topic is deeply personal. In our latest episode, "Wreck the Tech," we dive into a recent, terrifying experience: the crash in our 2024 Tesla Model 3.

The Crash

It happened incredibly fast. Another driver pulled out right in front of us, and before we knew what was happening, the impact sent our car spinning in a circle. It was a chaotic and frightening moment. We both suffered minor concussions, but the immediate aftermath was the hardest part. Deb was in terrible pain and struggling to walk, so we had to call an ambulance to the scene. Thankfully we are healing, but the experience shook us up and sparked a massive conversation about vehicle safety.

A Flashback to High School

As we processed everything that happened, we realized something interesting: the last time either of us had been in a significant wreck was back when we were in high school. It’s a common story—teenagers getting into accidents—but going through this recent crash made us view those early driving years in a totally new light.

The "What If" of Self-Driving Tech

Here is the most frustrating takeaway from our accident: it was entirely preventable. If the lady who hit us had been driving a car equipped with advanced self-driving technology—like a Tesla—her car would not have pulled out and hit us. Autonomous sensors and automated braking systems are designed to recognize danger and react in milliseconds, stepping in exactly when human judgment fails. This realization led us to a strong conclusion that we break down in the episode: High school-aged drivers should have self-driving cars.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

When you look at the reality of the road, putting our newest drivers in the smartest cars makes perfect sense:

• Drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 have the highest involvement in fatal crashes of any age group.
• On the flip side, vehicle safety data shows massive improvements with autonomous systems. For example, in the third quarter of 2025, Tesla recorded one crash for every 6.36 million miles driven when Autopilot technology was engaged.
• By comparison, the national average for human drivers is an automobile crash approximately every 702,000 miles.

If teenagers are statistically the most vulnerable drivers on the road, why wouldn't we want them backed by technology that is essentially nine times safer than the average human? Imagine how many accidents could be avoided if a car's computer simply refused to let an inexperienced 16-year-old pull out into oncoming traffic. We share all the raw details of our accident, our recovery, and our full thoughts on vehicle tech in the new episode. Tune into "Wreck the Tech" on the Just Stuff Podcast anywhere you get your podcasts, and stay safe out there!