It seems to be a rule that was made to be broken. Friends entreat me to violate it, without the slightest sense of guilt. Smiling parents ask the same of me, as if they don’t see any problem with the situation.
The rule is abused with such frequency, that it hardly seems significant anymore. In fact, at times, it appears that I am one of the few who has bothered to remember it, let alone why it should be remembered. But, the next time you request that I give you a ride to school, or drive you to the movies, or even simply take you down the street to your own car, allow me to explain why I will refuse.
Here is what the California law has to say about the subject, “Persons under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or other person specified by law when transporting passengers under 20 years of age, at any time for the first twelve months after receiving his or her license.” In other words, for his or her first year behind the steering wheel, a new driver cannot have anyone under 20 in the car, with a few exceptions. This means that if the driver is 16, and so are all of his or her friends, then it is illegal for them to drive together.
I got my license at the earliest possible opportunity: August 24, 2012, the day after my 16th birthday. In doing so, I accepted the fact that I would not be able to drive any of my peers until August 24, 2013. As a result, this year, when I go out with my friends, I choose to drive separately and meet at the location in question.
Although this is inconvenient for both my schedule and my gas tank, I know that it is the safest for me to drive alone. I am still relatively unfamiliar with the task of driving at all, and, as with over 90% of teenagers, I am often inclined to be doing other things while driving as it is, like fixing my hair or listening to loud music. If I had friends with me in the car, my concentration would be even more impaired, likely resulting in danger for everyone in the vehicle.
Statistics back up these scenarios. Firstly, car crashes are often fatal for new drivers like myself: according to www.dosomething.org, they are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, with 36% of deaths in this age group the result of motor accidents. Additionally, when a teen passenger is killed in a motor vehicle crash, 65% of the time the driver of the vehicle is also a teenager.
Statistics also show that at times when teenagers are most likely to be driving other teenagers, like the weekends, the rate of accidents is higher than any other time. For example, Saturday is the day when most motor vehicle fatalities occur.
One thing to consider with this law is that it is double-sided; it is designed to protect both the driver and the passenger. For the driver, a jaunt in the car with a friend could, in a worst case scenario, result in death. In a more mild scenario, the situation might just end with a large fine and with the driver’s license being revoked.
An avid driver myself, the possibility of this latter consequence alone is enough to make me obey the rule. After all, one brief ride with a friend in the car is not worth the risk of being forced to call my parents every time I need a lift.
Then again, it is important to remember that driving in itself can be lethal. I know that if I decided to illegally drive a friend, and an accident resulted in that friend’s death and not my own, I would be destroyed. I would live the rest of my life regretting that one bad decision.
For the passenger, too, it is in one’s best interest to avoid being driven by a young driver. After all, although accepting a ride from a friend might save time, I would hope that most people value their own lives more than they value efficiency.
At the end of the day, I suppose what my argument comes down to is the fact that I like to have fun, be with my friends, and save time as much as the next guy, but I also like to be alive. No whimsical jaunt with a friend could ever be worth as much as my own life. I’ll see you on the road, Sea Kings.