Dear young Jill,
Driving at the age of sixteen is a privilege due to the most obvious fact of being a dependent human being. Not only does your insurance increase, which your lovely parents pay, but you become a liability now that you get to drive on your own. Becoming a defensive driver needs to be your top priority when you first begin to drive since you will be unaware of certain drivers whom you share the road with. Upon receiving the ability to drive independently, you are granted with new responsibilities, the safety of yourself as you drive and ensuring you are driving by the rules of the road. By dismissing the structure or foundation of our nation’s roadway institution is enough to revoke your license, and as I stated previously driving needs to be seen as a privilege. Do not let your reckless friends drive your car for in case of an accident your insurance will not cover the damages since they are not covered. Moreover, as you begin driving, weather will be an important factor in whether you need to go somewhere, as well as being aware of technology in your vehicle and those intoxicated drivers you may share the road with; be extra cautious as you are new to the system.
One important detail you must take note of is driving in the rain. As you proceed to come or go wherever you please, the rain can be your enemy. The rain will soak into the concrete secreting oils that will cause you to lose control of your vehicle if you are not taking extra precaution. In hazardous rain pullover, and keep the lights in your vehicle off as that may cause cars that are still on the road to crash into you. Even if you think your car can withstand the heavy rain spatting against your window-shield the safest option is pulling-over. Where you live you need not worry about snow, but in dust storms feel free to apply what you have learned above. On another note, please refrain from looking at your phone while driving. It will be very tempting to glance at your screen to see who it is that messaged you…but DO NOT. It only takes a couple seconds for you to get distracted and your absent attention to the road could cause an accident. The most helpful piece of advice that I can give is to turn on your Do Not Disturb feature on your phone, that way none of your messages or phone calls will go through which allows you to maintain your focus.
Another important piece of advice to take includes dealing with road rage. If you come across those who become angered with you do not engage with them as it might lead to worse events such as tailgating or any other dangerous driving skills on their part. Also, if you happen to be the one who is upset at another driver simply remember that you do not know what they are going through. You can remain calm by stating to yourself “I am the better driver, I am the one who wants to live” or think about your happy place wherever that may be. Another problem that may arise from hazardous drivers is the possibility of the driver being intoxicated. You will notice the swaying motion of their vehicle as they are not in full control of their bodies or completely aware of their surroundings as a defensive driver should be. Remember to always have your seatbelt on in case of a collision with a drunk driver or any other driver for that matter. Try to stay as far away from those individuals as possible and be sure to memorize their license plate or style of vehicle, then proceed in pulling over your vehicle so that you may dial 9-1-1 to report them. Reporting the individual does not deem you a snitch or horrible person in any way, but provides a safe environment for others and may prevent an accident that might have occurred otherwise.
Young Jill I hope that this information does not go amiss when you begin driving for the first time, for your first solo drive. You are not invincible, although you would like to think you are, you ARE NOT. Follow the rules of the road and always be cautious of your surroundings.
Best,
Future Jill Big
Works cited
“Rain on Oily Roads – Liquid Sunshine Causes Accidents.” Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather &
Littky-Rubin,
http://www.clarkfountain.com/blog/2014/may/rain-on-oily-roads-liquid-sunshine-causes-accide/.
Steinberg, et al. “1,082 People Died in Illinois Car Accidents in 2016. Here’s Why.” Steinberg,
Goodman & Kalish, Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish, 25 July 2018,
http://www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2018/06/car-accidents-fatality.shtml.
“The Dangers of Distracted Driving.” Federal Communications Commission, 10 May 2019,
http://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/dangers-texting-while-driving.
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