Most kids learn how to drive in a parking lot. I learned on a racetrack when I was five years old.

Okay, it was a kart track and I could barely see over the wheel. But from that very first time behind the wheel, I was hooked and probably already thinking way too much about my line through turn three.

Now, ten years later, I have trained at some of the best racing schools in the country. When I was just fourteen, I completed the Lucas Oil School of Racing’s Advanced Formula Racing Program, Radford Racing School’s Advanced F4 program, and just recently at fifteen, Radford Racing School’s Advanced Road Racing course. I have raced F4 cars, earned the Most Outstanding Driver of the Weekend award, and had a podium finish at one of the most technical race tracks in the United States at fifteen years old. Oh, and I am also an undefeated karting champion.

So yeah, I am a little obsessed with driving. But here is the twist: everything I have learned in racing also makes me a better and safer driver on the regular roads.

Why teen driver safety matters

Every teenager knows that driving gives you freedom. What we sometimes forget is that it also gives you a lot of responsibility. Teen drivers crash more than any other age group not because we are bad drivers but because we are inexperienced, distracted, and sometimes overconfident. That combination is a disaster waiting to happen.

Driver’s education is what turns us from saying “I’ve got this” to really knowing what we are doing. It is not just about passing a test. It is about learning how to spot a bad situation before it happens, how to stay calm when something unexpected shows up, and how to avoid making the mistake that someone else is about to make right next to you.

How I know safety isn’t boring but actually fast

At Radford Racing School in the Advanced F4 program, we practiced every kind of emergency response. That included correcting a car that oversteers when you lift off the gas, braking at high speeds, and recovering from skids. One mistake at 130 miles per hour is not a small fender-bender. It is a lesson in survival. You learn quickly that safety is what lets you actually be fast. Control is not just a suggestion; it is how you survive.

That is what I wish more new drivers understood. Going fast in a straight line is easy. Knowing when to brake, where to look, and how to predict what other drivers will do are the real skills. And you don’t have to race formula cars to understand it. Driver’s education teaches you all of that before you even hit the highway.

What we are really up against

Let’s be honest. The biggest dangers for teen drivers are not technical. They are social. The passenger who says “You can make that light.” The text that can’t wait. The pressure to impress or keep up with friends.

Even in racing, I have seen drivers lose focus because of crowd noise or adrenaline. At Lucas Oil School, we learned how to block that out. Focus is not just about reaction time. It is about not letting your emotions take control.

A story from the fast lane

One weekend I was karting at a championship race. The driver behind me got impatient and tried a reckless move on cold tires and spun out. I could have been in that crash if I hadn’t predicted it and backed off. I won that race not because I was the fastest at that moment but because I was thinking ahead. That is what driver’s education does. It teaches new drivers how to stay ahead of the situation.

What I would do to make roads safer

If I could run a campaign, I would call it “From Podium to Parking Lot.” Young racers like me would visit schools and explain how professional racing techniques apply to everyday driving. Not to brag, but to prove that everything cool about racing includes important factors such as focus, strategy, and control. These are exactly what make you a safe driver on the street. We would talk about how distractions affect driving, how to stay aware of hazards, and how to treat every green light with respect, as you would treat a green flag in a race.

Maybe we would let students try a simulator where they have to corner while texting, just to show how quickly things can go wrong.

How racing made me a smarter future driver

People often assume racing makes you reckless. That is not true. It teaches discipline and control. At Radford’s Advanced Road Racing School, I drove for over five hours a day practicing lap consistency, perfecting heel-toe downshifts, and adjusting my inputs based on how much grip the tires had. You do not survive in racing if you are careless. You survive because you think.

I’ve also seen risky behavior on the road outside the track such as a friend who once texted while driving me home. Even then, I realized how quickly something could go wrong and made a choice to speak up.

Every time I ride with my parents, I check mirrors, keep safe spacing, and watch for brake lights as if it is second nature. When I get my license, I will treat every drive like a qualifying session: smooth, aware, and never overconfident.

Final lap

Driver’s education is not just a formality. It is how teens like me learn that a car is not just a way to get to school. It is a 3,000 pound machine that deserves your full attention. Racing taught me that control beats speed, knowledge beats ego, and focus wins every time.

And if you ever need a co-driver who knows how to trail brake into a tight left turn and recite every safe following distance rule, I’m your guy. Because whether it’s a racetrack or a regular road, driving safely is always how you win.