Growing up, I always looked forward to the day that I would get my driver’s license.  I would always pay attention to my parents when they would drive me around. Whether it was to school or to a sporting event, I would find myself fascinated by the freedom that I believed I would have once I started driving on my own. When it came time to get my driver’s license, I spent more hours and days than I could ever count practicing with my dad in the car. When he first started teaching me to drive, he would take me out in our neighborhood early in the mornings when there were very few cars on the road. As I progressed in my time on the road with him, he would then take me to different neighborhoods to practice all before allowing me on any of the busy roads near us. I believe this was very helpful in making me a safe driver as I would be very confident in a certain area before moving onto the next. He would teach me all the rules of the road and then proceed to quiz me on them once we finished driving around.  In conjunction, with the driving time with my father, I was required to take a driver’s education class online. I do believe this drivers education class has helped me be a very safe and smart driver. I will say that I feel as though my actual driving test that I did in person at the DMV could have been more thorough. It took less than 10 minutes, and I did just the basics in a parking lot. The DMV tester was very complimentary and gave me a 100% and my license. While I understand that time matters, this test should require actual road driving with an instructor that can grade you on your performance. I never encountered an actual light or lane to travel in. The toughest challenge was parking in a parking lot. If this test was more challenging, it would force drivers to be better prepared for driving right from the beginning of receiving your license.

All too often teenagers take advantage of the privilege of driving, by speeding or not wearing a seatbelt or having too many of their friends in a car that could prove to be very distracting. I’ve learned from my driver’s education that I will always wear my seatbelt, and I will always make sure that I go the posted speed limit when I am driving. I believe that if people would follow these guidelines, the majority of drivers would be safer and not careless drivers.

It is my educated opinion; simple steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths on the road. Teenagers should know better than to ever race when they drive. I have friends that have lost people close to them as a result of this horrible recklessness.

In addition, I wish there was a way to make sure that seatbelts were always buckled before cars would even start. There are too many lives that are lost due to people, specifically teenagers, not wearing their seatbelts. I also believe drinking and driving should be taken much more seriously, especially for people who turn freshly 21. I think that whether a person has had one sip or multiple drinks, they should never be allowed to drive. There are so many alternatives today that are available, which should make this an easy decision when drinking alcohol.

Driving with very high emotions is another driving distraction that is overlooked but very important to acknowledge as a teenage driver. You should never drive with high emotions as it clouds your judgement while behind the wheel. I feel everyone before getting into a car should take a second to remember they are operating a motorized vehicle a heavy piece of machinery. In a split second or misjudgment, you could injury yourself or others, or even worse, end someone’s life. This is why all of these topics are so important when driving. I am very lucky to say that I personally have never been involved in a car accident, however, as I mentioned, I do have friends that are not as lucky as me. I do attribute this to the fact that I take driving very seriously, and I consider it a privilege to be able to drive myself around. Later this year when I move away from home to go to college, I will be sure to pay very close attention when I am driving and learning my new town. It will be very important for me not to speed and to always watch out for others as it will be a college town. My hope is that others will do the same.