Time and time again I’d hear classmates ask for advice for the theory driving test and it was always an “It’s easy” followed by “Just pick the answer with the most words.” The first time I heard it I filed it in the back of my mind, because there was no way that it could be that easy. I studied for my theory exam, read the book front to back and took practice tests until I never got a question wrong. I was wholly prepared for my test and took it the day after my birthday only for everything to go out the window. The first few questions went fine then, on a question I was so sure of myself in, the screen flashed red displaying the word ‘incorrect’. I started panicking and doubting myself, suddenly all I could think about was what my classmate had told me again the day before, “Just choose the answer with the most words.” So I did, and the screen flashed green, again and again and again. Until the test was over and one of the few questions I actually read was a question I got wrong.
I would like to say that this didn’t sit right with me, and it motivated me to make a change. I wish that I’d felt a sense of unease at the simplicity of a test allowing me to operate a complex machine. Instead, I’m ashamed to say I adopted a negligent mindset thinking that because the test to start driving was so easy then driving must also be easy. I was incredibly careless, and as soon as I started driving by myself I stopped shoulder checking, started speeding, and started taking risks. The more I got away with the more boundaries I started to push. However one day, while hanging out at a friend's house we decided we wanted to go to a restaurant. Even though I could drive she refused to get in the car, insisting we walk the 30 minutes instead. She said that my driving scared her, and that she didn’t feel safe being in a car with me.
It came as a shock, I didn’t think I was the best driver, but I didn’t think getting in a car I was driving warranted this type of reaction. It made me reflect on how I’d been acting so far and I should be doing a lot better as a driver. I had never gotten into an accident because of the stop signs I ran through, but I had also cut off many pedestrians and bikers. I had never sideswiped a car because I forgot to shoulder check, but I had come very close. I had never hit another car or person because I was speeding, but I’d had to slam on my brakes countless times when I could have come to a safe stop by driving the correct speed. It was a hard realization that there was no skill in my driving at all, the only reason I hadn’t been in an accident was because of pure luck. That was a scary thought because the lives of people I love and other people around me should never depend on something so fickle.
From then on I resolved to change my driving, and little by little I started to improve. As my friend studied for her drivers test I re-read the driving manual and books on defensive driving with her. There was an embarrassing amount of information that I had forgotten, and rules that I had been breaking. Over the next few months I started driving the speed limit, paying attention to traffic lights and preparing in advance for yellow and red lights. I came to a full stop at every stop sign and vigilantly scanned the road for pedestrians, bikers, and other cars. It was a lot to take in at first, but I put effort into absorbing every piece of advice from my parents and put countless hours of work into being a driver that other people would feel safe around. It took too long to get to where I am, but I finally understand that there are no risks that are okay to take while driving. Driving recklessly isn’t cool, isn’t fun, and it isn’t worth it. It is dangerous and it puts the lives of everyone at risk. Even though it was something every adult said to me, it wasn’t until someone my age said it too that it sunk in.
I was lucky to have a friend that called me out on my reckless and careless behaviors, and that I was able to change my habits before an incident occurred. I know how impactful it can be to have someone your age force you to own up to your actions which is why I believe that one of the most important parts of being a driver is holding each other accountable. Countless people die from car accidents every year, and so many of them can be easily prevented by slowing down and paying attention to your surroundings. By ensuring our peers know that irresponsible actions lead to dangerous and deadly consequences we are preventing their accidents, injuries and deaths. As a teenager and driver, I know it is imperative we tell each other to study to drive and take all advice to heart because words in the book and on the screen aren’t just words. They’re the first of many steps that you need to take to keep yourself and everyone around you safe.