mmarshall

As another high school year across America comes to a close, another Senior Class prepares to graduate, and many high school students (including some Sophmores and Juniors) also prepare to get their Learner's Permits or Drivers' Licenses, I want to congratulate all those who are about to get their sheepskin and/or their new-found-experiences and freedom behind the wheel. I know that there are a number of CL members here either under age 20, still in high school, about to graduate, or in Driver Training.....this thread is for you.

You worked and studied in school for your diploma, and did more work, study, and practice behind the wheel to get your state Learner's Permit or Drivers' License. Now let both of them, in turn, work for you....for positive things in your life. Treat them both with the respect they deserve....unless you screw up, both will be documents that you will have for the rest of your life (along with any college degrees you might earn later).......or until you are no longer able to drive. But, for most of you, that will probably be at least six or seven decades into the future. And, some of what I'm about to say, you will already have heard from your parents, teachers, or Driving Instructors. But, it's important enough that it bears repeating here.

First, although you, as young American citizens, DO have certain rights under the Constitution's First and Fourth Amendments, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the operation of a motor vehicle is legally NOT a right, but a priviledge. As long as you meet the legal standards in that state and pass applicable tests and driving skills, your license will usually be treated as a right....but not an unlimited one. It can be (and often is) suspended or revoked if it is abused enough times. In addition to your state's driving laws, for those of you still living at home with your parents, don't legally own your own vehicle, and are subect to their rules about use of the family vehicle(s), they may have additional restrictions and policies that you will have to follow. That, of course, is between you and them, and I won't get into those details here.

Second, learning to drive today is probably a somewhat different, and less-pleasant, experience than it was in the late 1960s, when I myself learned. In many parts of the country, roads are far more congested (particularly in the D.C/MD/VA and Southern California regions, where traffic congestion is at crisis-levels), vehicles are more complex, there are far more signs and things on the road that need paying attention to, and of course, there are the ever-present electronic devices both in and out of the vehicle that distract so many drivers.....and, yes, cause accidents. I honestly feel for some of you......I would not want to be learning to drive in the gridlock that characterizes some regions today. So I honestly have some sympathy for what you have to go through today to get your license. I went through pilot training in the 1980s, and it required a fair amount of multi-tasking as well....but you usually weren't in any immediate danger of a mid-air collision if you had to monitor several things at once, which is not the case on today's roads. So, yes, you have to work for your license today in much more dense traffic......and those of you who get them have my congratulatons.

Third, let's not kid ourselves. I know, and YOU know, that many of you are going to have peer-pressure from your friends do try and do things that clearly should not be done in a moving vehicle. But, nevertheless, even with peer pressure, some things are more important than what some immature kids may be trying to get you to do at the moment.......your future, for example. At age 18, for example, and younger in some cases, you can be tried as an adult, facing an adult penalty for some offenses. When some moron wants to show off how bad-a** his Mustang GT or Camaro SS is, and challenges you to a stoplight duel, the sensible thing is to simply and politely say no....even if you also want to show off for your girl friend sitting there in the front seat with you. If he calls you a coward, so what?......He's the one that soon may end up losing his license doing that, not you. Then you can drive wherever you want, while he's walking down the sidewalk in the rain.

(Besides, if the temptation to drag-race is more than you can stand, and you want to do it legally, local drag-strips will sometimes rent out track time.....after all, they are in business to make money. You may have to sign a waiver, though, drive at your own risk, and be liable for any damage you cause if your car goes out of control. And, if you have a newer car, it will probably void the warranty)

Fourth, alcohol and gasoline don't mix. Neither do most illegal drugs, and, in some cases, even the side-effects from legal ones. Marijuana used to be illegal everywhere......now, in some jurisdictions it is legal for medicinal purposes, and, in some states/localities, even for recreational use, though there are still unresolved controversies in the courts between state and Federal law regarding its use. You and your friends are probably going to want to party now and then. I personally don't endorse the use of either alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana myself, strictly avoid all three, and generally advise young people to do the same. But if you want to, are determined to use these substances, and can legally do so at your age in your state, fine. Just confine their use to parties, alone, and/or where you will not have to drive or expose yourself to risky conditions afterwards. DUI/DWI laws are on the books for good reasons. Driving impairment from alcohol and drugs is a major cause of accidents....especially the serious ones that can injure, kill, or total a vehicle. For adults with a regular Drivers' License, most states consider 0.04-0.05 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) DUI and 0.08-0.10 BAC to be DWI. For those of you still in Driver Training or with a newly-issued license, many states have graduated steps where, depending on your age and time behind the wheel, there are aditional restrictions on the number of teenagers you can have in the car with you, how late at night you can be out on the roads, and what your allowable BAC can be. Some states allow NO alcohol at all in the blood, up to a certain age, until you are past your graduated-step and have a full, unrestricted license. Many states, if you are stopped by a police officer on suspicion of a DUI, require you to submit to the tests the officer gives you, or risk losing your license. (this prodedure has generally been upheld in the courts, and does not violate the 4th-Amendment/unreasonable-search-clause).

So, again, to all of you, congratulations on your upcoming Diplomas and Drivers' Licenses. Both will serve you well in life if you treat them with the respect they deserve. Enjoy your freedom and pleasure behind the wheel......at least in areas where the roads are clear enough and you aren't sitting still in traffic

MM

swajames

Great advice!

mmarshall

Thanks. I followed most of it (though not quite all) when I myself was young.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

How thoughtful Mike

Educating the next generation of drivers is sooo important

Privilege and not a right indeed

jwong77

Awesome! Thanks MMarshall

mmarshall

Yeah....I know they will probably hear a lot of this from other sources, but I think that a lot of it bears repeating. Too many of them don't seem to get the message until they or one of their friends gets hurt.

The way cars are steadily being automated, though, today's young people, with their computer skills, in the future, will probably be teaching US.

ANY state or Federally-issued license, technically, is a privilege, not a right......though, unless one abuses it or screws up to the point of losing it, it is more or less treated as a right.

mmarshall

Anytime. But a lot of this isn't rocket science or any stroke of genius....just simple common sense.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Which is ironic considering common sense is less and less common with newer generations

robert1408

Considering modern attention spans, I would just give the youngsters advice in these short highlights.

1) Maintain situational awareness. Do NOT become distracted by electronics, yours or the car's.

2) Keep enough following distance always.

3) Learn patience and courtesy

4) Don't crash or get tickets. It's a big expense at a time in your life when you don't have much money.

5) Slow down some approaching intersections.

mmarshall

Agreed, except possibly for #2. Of course you want to avoid tailgating whenever possible, but the congestion of today's traffic can make that very difficult, even for experienced drivers. There are just so many cars on some roads that no matter how much or how little space you try and keep in front of you, someone always seems to be passing you and then cutting into that space. It can be frustrating, to say the least.

Some luxury cars today have distance-maintaining cruise-control which works partly by radar, and automatically slows the car down to maintain the distance when someone buts in. But that device can be overwhelmed by really heavy traffic, it can irk drivers behind you, and it is not likely to be on the first-time cars that many young people today are driving or learning on.

mmarshall

Well, a surprising amount of it was missing from some of the students I went to high school with (more so here in Northern Virginia than in Austin, TX, where I did my sophomore year, and where kids in general seemed more sensible). There were some wild people here I simply had to stop riding with because they scared the hell out of me...and some of them ended up hurt or killed. Also, cars back then didn't have as much safety-equipment, and were less forgiving if you did screw up. Don't forget, that (1970) was the tail end of the Great Age of Muscle-cars , though, to some extent, we also have muscle-cars again today.

FrankReynoldsCPA

My little sister just graduated last week. We all worry about her going off to school by herself. Driving hasn't come as easy for her as it did for the rest of the family.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Congrats to her. My littlest sister is headed to University of Oregon in the Fall, she's taking the hand-me-down 03 Explorer which has been a champ thus far. In a few years I'll probably give her my current Lexus

FrankReynoldsCPA

LOL, my sister hasn't had to buy a car yet either. Although I don't think I'm in a position yet to be handing them down. Of course, she'll most likely be taking the '99 Saturn SL2 that my dad owns(which she's been driving since she had her license). She'll be in a smaller city though, so we're not too worried about the traffic, just the snow in the winter.

mmarshall

Congratulations and good luck to your sister. You're probably already aware of this, but MAKE SURE that her '03 Explorer does not have those Firestone Wilderness tires. Ford replaced them on a lot of Explorers of that vintage free of charge....there was a major campaign.