Twenty five years ago this week, I got behind the wheel of a car for the first time. A real car. Not a bumper car, not a go cart, not an ATV, a real, drive on the road automobile. I started my Driver’s Education Course 25 years ago this week. It’s what I feel should be a mandatory prerequisite for anyone wanting to obtain a driver’s license.
Looking back these 25 years, I probably shouldn’t have been driving yet. I was nothing more than a child. Not yet fully developed and certainly not capable of comprehending the massive amount of responsibility that I now possessed. Somehow I survived driver’s ed and got my license. I aced the written exam and aside from the minor misstep of not taking off the parking break, I survived the road test. Now 25 years into my driving career I consider myself the best driver on the roads. Don’t we all?
Having driven hundreds of thousands of miles these last two-and-a-half decades, what advice would I give 15-year old me as he embarked on his driving career? What have I learned through my driving experiences that could help a young driver just starting out? I’ve come up with this brief list of pointers.
- Distance means everything. The more distance between your car and the car in front of you, the safer you will be. You never know how good the driver in front of you is, or what they are going to do. By keeping ample distance between the two vehicles, you have more time to react to whatever happens. This is especially important when driving on the interstate. For every 10 miles per hour you are driving, keep at least one cars length between you and the car in front of you. So, if you are going 60 miles an hour, you should have at least six car lengths of space.
- Wet roads are no joke. If it is raining or snowing out, double the distance between you and the car in front of you. And slow down.
- Stay focused every minute you are behind the wheel. Constantly check your review mirror and your side view mirrors. Look far down the road at what could be coming up. Keep your head on a swivel at all times. You never know what is going to happen out on the roads.
- There are no bonus points for going fast. There are going to be times when you think going fast is cool or racing someone down the road is cool. It's not. It's dangerous. If you want to race, go to a racing school.
- Keep your gas tank full. When you don't and that needle creeps toward "E," you will run out of gas at the most inopportune time. Always make sure you have gas. Being stranded on the side of the road is no fun.
- Wear your seat belt! I've seen and reported on too many accidents where the occupants of a vehicle weren't wearing their seat belts. The results are never good. Wear your seat belt and make sure everyone else in the car is wearing theirs. Make it non-negotiable.
To all the other “veteran” drivers out there, what advice or words of wisdom would you pass on to younger drivers? I’d love to hear them.
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