Being a teenager comes with many new responsibilities and freedoms. Going into high school, new people and opportunities, turning 16 especially introduces you to the new freedom of driving. Driving is something that most kids look forward to, but some kids do not consider the new responsibilities and dangers of this new freedom.

The first few years of driving, teens are still learning the rules, becoming better drivers and more aware. Accidents happen every day, some worse than others. Some teens face more consequences than others as well. Teens have a higher rate of crashes due to their lack of skills and experience. One major problem with new teen drivers is kids having more people in their car then they are allowed to have the first year on the road. This is why it is important to bring awareness to issues with driving and become more aware while on the road.

Junior Liam Connaughton got into an accident his first year of driving, some situations like a fender bender can remain calm. But getting into your first accident can be a lesson for the future while being a new driver out on the road.

“I was driving a silver truck, while the truck in front of me brake checked me

in front of the Ross Medical Center and Big Bulls.I had to get a new bumper and so did he. He remained very calm in the situation, asking the police officer to not cite me and insurance can handle it. The Ross Police did not cite me. I think having my flub shirt on helped, since they love flubs. My lesson would be to drive more carefully and be patient with those you are on the road with,” Connaughton said.

Junior Maya Mazes also faced an accident in her first few years driving. Mazes as well learned more about being on the road, knowing what you can and can not do, and making her more aware while driving.

“My accident happened about a month after getting my license. I was driving in Hamilton, it was a two lane, one way and I was not sure how that road worked. I was trying to turn left in the right lane and there was a car in my blind spot, causing me to hit it from the side. The car drove away without pulling over. My car had lots of damage, my door would not close or open. With insurance it was $500 to fix the damages and resulted in me not having a car for a month. My lesson after this was to be more attentive to detail while driving and be more aware of road rules before you drive on them,” Mazes said.