In the halls of Coppell High School, talk of driver licenses is as common as homework and weekend plans. As a senior, I have been asked countless times when I am getting my license. But too often, these discussions about licenses come with concerning admissions: students barely passing their test, near accidents on the way to school or needing multiple attempts at different clinics before finally obtaining that coveted card.
As a student learner myself, I see the effect of this relaxed standard daily. Around CHS and throughout Coppell, accidents and near collisions with pedestrians and cars have become routine. The issue does not boil down to the fact teens are just inexperienced, it is that too many of us view the state driving test as the finish line, when in reality it should only mark the beginning of independent car usage.
Passing your driving test does not automatically make you a good driver. A standardized checklist of turns administered by a random examiner of stops and parking maneuvers cannot replicate the wide range of scenarios drivers face. Heavy rain, rush-hour traffic, road rage and unpredictable pedestrians all require skill and quick judgement. Even driving on highways is not required in order to obtain a license. If students are not pushed to practice in these situations, we are left gambling with safety every time we start the car.
That gamble is not just harmful for student drivers. Parents trusting their kids behind the wheel also inadvertently trust them with the lives of everyone else on the road. At CHS, where senior parking is full every morning and many juniors have their permits, the stakes are high. Roads around the school are routinely crowded before 8:50 a.m. and after 4:15 p.m. with student commuters, inexperienced drivers and hurried parents, a recipe for disaster if these drivers are not adequately prepared.
The responsibility of safety falls on both the students behind the wheel and the parents placing them there. Students need to be honest with themselves about whether they are truly confident in their abilities, or just relieved to have scraped by on the test so that they can hang out after school. Parents must go beyond the minimum practice hours and ensure their kids are prepared to handle whatever situation that day’s road will take them, and do it alone. An uncomfortable driving lesson today could prevent a tragic accident tomorrow.
Driving is a serious privilege, not a rite of passage to rush through as quickly as you can. The set of keys that represent freedom and independence for high schoolers is also a two-ton machine capable of serious and permanent damage. As more student drivers make their way onto Coppell roads, students need to ask if they are ready for the responsibility, or just passing.
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