Section 4 – Oh, to Be Young!

Life is good! You’re in school or you have a job. You’ve got friends and it seems like there’s always something going on. Every weekend is booked with parties or day trips or just hanging out. These years will always be some of the best in your life. When it gets to be 11pm, many people are ready to turn in. You may just be heading out for a night on the town. You’ve got the energy that comes with youth, and you feel like you’re invincible – except you’re not.

Yes, you have your whole life ahead of you, and driving is a big part of that. With a driver’s license comes independence. No relying on mom or dad or anybody to drive you to and from school or work. You can find a job further away from home, which certainly can open doors for you. You can travel farther for movies or the beach or the water park. One of the key goals of this course is to ensure that you have your whole life ahead of you. With the independence of having a driver’s license come responsibilities. The very second you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you are entirely responsible for your safety along with that of your passengers and any one (or thing) in the vicinity of your car. Respect the traffic laws and rules of the road. Use common sense. Make important driving decisions based on experience. Doing all of this will help to make your driving years safe, rewarding, and enjoyable. Please take to heart what you read and learn in this course. Avoid that feeling of invincibility especially when you are operating a motor vehicle. Don’t find out the hard way and through experience how much your whole life can change in a matter of seconds.

Remember, this is not a regular driver education course. On top of reviewing some of the basic rules of the road and traffic laws, we want to introduce you to the experiences and decisions you will have to make that are not always black and white. There will be times that you’ll need to make snap decisions in a situation that will not be so clear cut. Whenever you are out on the road, you will need to pick up on visual clues given to you by other drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. You’ll need to learn how to “read” other drivers and their vehicles. The focus in this course will be on signs and situations where there may be, for whatever reason, some wiggle room. It may not be immediately obvious how you should react to something another driver does…or does not do. Remember, traffic laws are in place so that we are all on the same page. The problem is, far too many drivers today don’t like the book. So in addition to watching out for yourself, you need to watch out for them. With that said, thank you again for joining us. Let’s make this course the start of your becoming one of the safest drivers on the road.