When one comes of age, it is a rite of passage to drive---even own an automobile, if your parents can afford it. Almost all teenagers desire to conquer the open road, to spread their wings and to be independent. But how can one legally drive without a license? Will a parent, in his right mind, hand an adolescent key to the family car without first enrolling the later in crash course driving lessons? I don’t think so. The following paragraphs are meant to encourage readers to take safety driving courses or defensive driving classes, be it to obtain or to renew one’s license.

With the DMV at close proximity where my friend works, I’ve seen a handful of beginners’ tragedy during their practical exams. From those that weren’t able to clear those tricky turns and curves to those that were so confused (or nervous) that they mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake. The latter, so far, is the worst incident I’ve seen within the boundaries of DMV. For those who continuously feel the need for speed (ignoring piles of speeding tickets received), they’re required by said institution to take defense driving. Note that the license was not suspended, though same will not be renewed if one has yet to enroll in a defense driving class.

Going back to teen driving, it’s really difficult to take danger out in the equation of cars and hormonally-charged, hard to control youth. I could still remember arguing with my parents to allow me to cruise the road after having enrolled in an intensive driving lesson. I’ve no idea how I made my parents hand me the car key (probably it is due to the fact that the driving instructor passed me or I really, really have great convincing powers---I’m inclined in believing the latter.) I took me a few months before I was able to drive by myself.

Believe me, no amount of speeding tickets, traffic violations or fines, could make a teenager surrender his car keys. Instead of totally robbing the kid of his precious toy, try laying some ground rules. Here is the law laid down by my parents when I started driving. First and only rule: Use your common sense. This statement covers every possible inappropriate act a teenager could do while driving like there is no room for drunk or stoned people behind the wheels. Another would be to put mobile phones, radios and other distractions out of reach and out of sight. This has accident written all over it.

When I was young, I saw driving as being cool, now I see it as a necessity---sometimes a burden, even. Driving to an unknown location, taking road trips, wasting gas money and sadly, ruining the car’s body paint, these are a few of my frequent activities back then. Times have changed. Prices rose, the traffic worsen---the drivers, even worst. That’s why I prefer to take a cab or to carpool.

In my travel from house to work, I could recommend a few people behind the wheel to undergo driver ed courses. These are the ones who doesn’t know how to signal, who doesn’t know what right of way is and who doesn’t realize that car bumpers have intimacy issues---translation: don’t get too close. These are the basics, yet it seems that the more time they spend in the road, the less information they retain. If this is the case (and I know that it is) then you should visit your local joint offering defensive driving courses. The purpose of said driving is not to merely teach you how to handle the steering wheel, it’ll teach you how to handle the steering wheel with emphasis on the safety of everyone in road.

Remember, "With proper road skills, you’ll prevent road kills."