The
Right Image of Teenage Driving


We’ve
all seen this image.


A
group of attractive teens speed down the highway in their sportscar.
As the sun sets in the distance, they stand up, emerging from the
roof of the car, hands up reaching for the sky---blasting music,
weaving through cars, and screaming with glee all the while.


This
is the image we’ve
been shown. This is the image I see when I’m
first handed my driver’s
license. But there’s
more to it than this---we’ve
only been shown the first part.You
see, as the teens barrel down the 405 freeway, they forget that the
car in front suddenly swerves into their lane. The screams change
tone.


It’s
a gruesome image, I know, but it’s
the one that we should see instead when we are handed our driver’s
license.


I
was reminded of this when my dad and I drove back from dance class
one day. We were crossing an intersection---the light, a clear green
above our heads. At the last moment, I see a large truck come towards
us at full speed. I scream. The sound of brakes screeching. A large
boom. A pressure on my right knee.


We
stop, stranded in the middle of an intersection. My first instinct is
to look down at my leg, which is luckily inches from being crushed by
the caved-in side door. If it hadn’t
been for my dad’s
defensive driving, the story would’ve
ended much differently.


This
is why drivers ed is crucial. At the end of the day, there will
come a moment like this for every driver, and if a blank spot is all
that comes to mind when a split second decision must be made, it’s
at the driver’s
peril.


We
cannot control the driving of those around us, but by informing young
drivers about the importance of careful driving techniques, we can
control
our own driving. If teens successfully do this, then they have the
power to save many lives, as well as their own.


One
such way we can accomplish this, is by stressing the power of
defensive driving education. Here, we learn how to safely drive
ourselves, but also how we may protect ourselves and our loved ones
from outside threats on the road.


Like
the famous phrase says, with knowledge comes responsibility. Upon
taking a lengthy driver’s
education course, each teen is then charged with the responsibility
of educating their friends and family. So, the next time a friend
refuses to wear a seatbelt, or pushes too hard on the gas pedal,
they’re
given a quick reality check. All it takes is one peer to say, “you
are not driving safely, I’m
uncomfortable”,
to change this behavior.


So
the next time I go for a drive, I’ll
follow protocol. I’ll
remember my training. And I will see a different image, this one much
better. The image of having a safe drive, and returning home to the
smiling faces of my loved ones, not the darkness of a body bag.