Dear Ian,
So, it’s been two months since you got your first car, a momentous occasion for a 16-year-old. Forgive your dad and me if we get a little misty-eyed over our own tender memories of our declarations of independence.
Mine was a 1971 Ford Pinto, which, in retrospect, should have resulted in charges of neglect against your grandfather. Your dad’s was an unfortunately-named Chevrolet import called the Luv.
Like your mom and dad, your grandparents were wary of turning over the keys. In a scene that has played out millions of times as kids come of age, they dolefully gave me a set. But, like your wise parents, they attached enough strings to take most of the fun out of it. (It was only after I landed a job as a high school sports correspondent at the Daily Reporter that they let me drive to Saturday night home basketball games at Eastern Hancock.)
Be patient with them, Ian. You know, a lot of common-sense restrictions tested for generations by overprotective parents are now state law. You know them by heart, right? Under Indiana’s graduated driving requirements, you can drive only with a responsible adult in the front seat, and you can’t drive past 10 p.m. That will cramp your style for a while, but believe me, the cautious habits you’re developing now are very important. They might one day even save your life or the lives of those riding with you.
Defensive Driving School is something bad drivers sometimes are required to attend if they get pulled over. But you know what? Driving defensively should be the foundation of your attention every minute you’re behind the wheel. Expect the other guy to do something stupid. Because occasionally, he or she will.
Your environs in Brownsburg aren’t much different than the ones here in Greenfield, so here are some statistics I recently saw from the Greenfield Police Department. These will be instructive, nephew.
In October, police investigated 70 accidents, or more than two a day. The vast majority were preventable. Twenty one accidents occurred because someone was following too closely. Seventeen happened because someone failed to yield. Sixteen occurred because the driver made a bad turn or disregarded a stoplight or a stop sign. That added up to an estimated $500,000 in damage because people weren’t driving defensively.
Need more evidence? In 2016, more than 2,400 teens died in accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 292,000 were injured. Teen drivers make up 6.5 percent of the driving population but cause more than 8 percent of the total cost of accidents.
I drove for Hancock County Senior Services’ transportation program for nearly three years, and I spent a fair amount of time on the road. Ian, there are a lot of bad drivers out there. They do indeed tailgate, and they drive too fast. And I’m talking about adults. Drivers your age, of course, are even more likely to speed and to tailgate.
Ian, have you ever watched a car roar around you, only for you to pull up to its bumper at the next stoplight? Happens all the time, doesn’t it? Fact is, unless you’re in a cross-country race (see “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Cannonball Run”) you probably never will be able to make up lost time if you’re running late. There are too many stoplights and too much traffic. So, take your time and let the other guys burn extra gas and wear out their brakes.
Driving is a privilege, Ian. At your age, it’s darn near a sacred one. I always enjoy my time behind the wheel, which these days is mostly driving to and from work. When your dad and I were kids, your grandfather would occasionally say on Sunday afternoons, “Let’s go for a ride.” And off we’d go in one of those General Motors models he would faithfully trade in every four years. Our mobility is a genius of technology and ambition. Congratulations on merging successfully with the other 270 million vehicles on U.S. roads.
Love, Uncle Dave
David Hill welcomes your comments on this or any other story in the Daily Reporter. You can write to him at [email protected]. Send comments to dr-editorial@greenfield reporter.com.
