A Day in the Life of a New Driver

Oshioke Iyalomhe

University of California, Merced

01 August 2020

A Day in the Life of a New Driver

PRESENT DAY. The day has finally arrived. The feeling is nerve wracking yet very exciting. You have prepared to take the driving test after reading through the driver’s handbook, obtaining a permit and attending driving lessons. Now is the time to take the test and by the grace of luck or God (whatever one believes in), you pass the test. After doing so, one must commit to following the rules and guidelines of being behind the wheel in order to make it from point A to point B in one piece. When thinking about driving, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is that amazing feeling of independence that comes with it. As soon as you pass that test, there is no stopping you! You are capable of getting in the car and going anywhere you would like simply by having your driver’s license. On that same note of experiencing this newfound freedom, one must also think of the major consequences one may face when they do not take the task of driving in a serious manner.

REWIND. It’s your first day of taking driving lessons and you are feeling extremely anxious about moving a vehicle. Your guardian tries to assure you that everything is going to be alright and not to worry, driving is going to be a breeze. All of a sudden, your driving instructor walks outside to introduce themself and lead you to the car that you will take your lessons in. From that very moment, you are not only held responsible for your life but the life of your instructor due to their willingness to allow someone who has never been behind the wheel to drive them around the city. At this very moment, it should click that the training you are about to receive is vital once on the road. These driving lessons are meant to encourage one to use critical thinking in order to make proactive decisions while driving which creates a safe environment for both you and other drivers. By creating such an environment, the number of car collisions and number of deaths on the road becomes reduced at a drastic rate.

FAST FORWARD. The end of the driving test is near and the test examiner tells you to pull back into the DMV. After parking and a few moments of silence, the test examiner looks up and says with a genuine smile, “Congratulations, you passed the driver’s test.” and passes you back the paper with your marks on it. Emotions such as excitement and thrill overfill your heart as you gleam at the idea of actually obtaining this sense of freedom now that you are officially a certified driver. By remembering everything that was taught to you when learning how to drive, you will save lives. Welcome to the life of being a driver! Never forget that it is better to be safe than sorry by making the correct decision before getting behind the wheel. Go out there and shine (drive).