“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.” ― Dave Barry

Sixteen is a huge milestone. Some of us have a sweet sixteen party and get the chance to reap a lot of gifts and cash.For some of us, it means more freedom. For example, you finally get an affirmative response when you ask, “Can I have a phone, Mom?” for the billionth time. You can finally gloat and remind her that she was the one who promised and now it’s time to cough up the dough and let you socialize incessantly. The one experience most all teenagers look forward to when they turn 16 is driving.

You also may be able to spend some of your money because you make it on your own. Instead of being made to put it away for college, you can go and buy clothes and bags and anything you want…. Mostly.

But it’s not all fun and games! Getting your Learner’s Permit may seem easy, but before you go and take the test there are some things you should know:

1) There is a huge book that you need to read in order to pass your test. You can get one at the local DMV(Department of Motor Vehicles)

2) You should really get some practice driving on back roads where you can’t harm anyone. It’s not all fun and games. This practice will prepare you for driving on the roads.

3) Just a tip: Concentration is key. Keep your eyes on the road at all times. It seems obvious but for those of us that get easily distracted, that one is a toughy!

What’s in this book I have to read? Why do I need to know all of this? Well, first, you need it to pass the test. Secondly, it will eventually need to be engraved into your brain for when you’re really driving. In the book that is read for this test in New York State, there are twelve chapters. They talk about how you get your driver’s license, violations, registration and responsibilities of owning a vehicle, turns, passes, parallel parking, defensive driving and so on. Some chapters are more important than others but be sure to read them all and you will be on your way to pro-driver!

Hopefully I will get through the rest of my book and schedule my road test sometime soon. But before I even read the book, I got some practice with driving both an automatic and standard vehicle. I have always been taught that it is important to be able to drive both in case of emergencies and for many other useful purposes. I think I’ve really got the hang of it. Experience driving will help you on the written test and one year later, give you more confidence while taking your driving test. Yikes!

Turning 16 was awesome! More freedoms, parties, driving! But always remember that with all of these things comes responsibilities. Curfews, jobs, chores. Especially with driving, responsibility should always be your number one because we’re not all above-average drivers, even though we’d like to think that we are. Fact.