Confidence is Key in the Driver’s Seat

Did you feel ready to drive when you turned 16? There are plenty of adults who would confidently agree with this question, and I believe there’s a variety of reasons why; for example: freedom and independence. A license might mean independence from overbearing parents, or a way to go anywhere anytime they want. Sometimes a license is a way to get more comfortably to school or work. Confidence in yourself is a key part in these reasons, but what if you weren’t a comfortable driver at 16? I think it’s important to address this part of early driving, too, because unconfident driving paired with the pressure being put on teenage drivers today can lead up to being one of the main causes of car accidents in the U.S.

At age 16, I had access to the bus to get to school or get a ride with my parents to the places I needed to be. So, starting to drive wasn’t even a second thought to me. As I grew a bit older though, I started feeling more isolated from my peers who were already driving.  Feelings began to arise because I still didn’t have my license or very much practice being on the road. Every time I sat at that steering wheel, my hands shook, and my breathing quickened, to the point of hyperventilation. It didn’t help seeing some of my friends, whom I looked up to, making the reckless decisions they were making while parking or on the road; I didn’t want to take someone else’s life away because I wasn´t ready for the responsibility. That lonely, isolated feeling stayed with me, and grew the longer I went without a license. However, I was very lucky to be born to parents who cared so much about me, and they never would have wanted me to start driving without caution and readiness. I had also gained better friends, who also respected my decision in a kind and friendly manner. Without the support of my family and friends, I could see myself stuck in a hospital because of irresponsible driving, or worse. Though, that is the unfortunate reality for multiple teenagers who weren’t ready to drive just like me. 

There are many circumstances in teenagers´ lives in which they might have to start driving earlier than what would be comfortable for them. One example being the pressure from their parents. If their mother, father, or guardian needed someone to drive them to work, or to other important responsibilities, do you believe this child would have the strength to tell them no? Another important factor is the pressure from their peers. It’s very difficult for developing minds to deny the requests of people who they so desperately want attention and love from. It may start as simple as, ¨I promise if you drive me here just this once, I´ll pay you back! ¨ or ¨You´re the most responsible out of all of us, so we trust you the most! ¨ they would say. It could even lead to a threat to the teenager´s physical or mental wellbeing. While we’d all like to think that friends are beneficial for both parties all the time, there are just too many people who would emotionally manipulate someone young or susceptible to outside influences to get what they want. So, with this coercion, the teenager starts driving, but they are scared and unsteady. There are shouts from the back and the passenger seats, chastising and commanding, and it’s so overwhelming for this kid. Even with the clearest blue skies, they get into an accident. They´re hurt, and the ones they love are hurt. What could have stopped something so horrible from happening?

To answer the question posed, I believe the best place to get this confidence in your driving abilities would be at Driver´s Education. According to Forbes, Frontiers in Psychiatry on unconfident driving, they took a survey of 1,500 people in the United States on how confident they were on their driving abilities. They found many statistics regarding this topic, but one of the most important to me was, in relativity, around 66% of Americans suffer from driving anxiety, and around 55% in common driving practices. I believe many of these cases are because of starting to drive at an age too early for the individual. It would be great if we, as a society, could stop pressuring young teenagers to drive as soon as they legally can, but it won’t change overnight. There will always be circumstances that will vary for every first driver, but we can try and help change the stigma behind starting to drive later in life. Furthermore, that’s the great thing about Driver´s Education! It has no age limit, and with its teaching on the importance of staying vigilant while driving, the impacts left by irresponsible driving, and the required practice of driving with a trusted license holder, I feel a large percentage of people with driving anxiety would decrease with the help of an in-depth education on driving. As for me, I´m almost 18 years old now, and ready to start that chapter of my life on vehicular independence. Though I am still weary of being behind the wheel on my own, I believe Driver’s Education will properly give me the confidence I need to start driving safely.  Though a small drop, I hope my caution of driving confidently will become a ripple in the lives of teenagers who were like me or the stories I described, for the better futures of beginner drivers everywhere.