Home School Essay, Research Paper

People look at me and think I am a terrible driver just because I am young. However the reality is I am a fine driver. It is a common misconception that teenagers are “bad” drivers; in my experience I have found that it’s not only teenagers that are terrible drivers. I think people point to teenagers only because they need a collection of drivers to blame and they choose the beginners. When I look at senior citizens, young drivers (between the ages of 15-25, teenagers included), and middle age drivers, I notice the same driving techniques. Young drivers are not given credit for being more aware of their surroundings and having the right dose of confidence when they drive. They are not overly confident like most senior citizens and middle age drivers.

Through my experiences with senior citizens I find that they are among the worst group of drivers on the road. In many cases, when I have been driving on a road with the flow of traffic I have had to dangerously dodge a senior citizen that was driving to slow in the fast lane. I find this to be annoying and extremely dangerous for all the automobiles on the road. Because of the slow driving senior citizen the once average flowing traffic has to rapidly slow down. Sadly this causes numerous crashes that would have been avoided if the senior citizen had been more aggressive and drove at the same pace that everyone else was on the road. Unfortunately some senior citizens cannot even see over the steering wheel, or see the road ahead of them, yet they still receive their licenses. Why is that? If they can’t see the road ahead, they are very hazardous to the people around them, which classify them as “bad” drivers. When people become old they also become forgetful, which can cause other harmful situations. Often times I have noticed senior citizens forgetting to put on their seatbelt and overlooking the fact that they have to activate their emergency brake when they park on a hill.

Young drivers between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five (teenage drivers included) are considered to be the worst drivers on the road. At least that is what the insurance companies believe. That is why my insurance, up until I am twenty-five will be ridiculously high compared to other age levels including middle-aged drivers and senior citizens. Drivers that are new to the road are often times great drivers. They begin their driving career by respecting the rules of the road. Because they are sometimes unsure and have not had the chance to build their confidence, they pay attention to the road better then anyone else. Including keeping an eye on their blind spot consistently. On the other hand experienced drivers often forget the basic fundamentals, which I feel are a necessary element for everyone who drives on public roads. I find experienced drivers to be very aggressive and overly confident. Instead of concentrating on what’s ahead of them, they field their eyes on such things as the radio, or other disruptive devices.

Middle-aged drivers are a unique group of individuals. Because in there own minds they feel they are not old, but are not young either. So they can walk between both worlds. When driving they act as though they are the most experienced, even though most senior citizens have more driving hours under their belt. So when they drive they show off, because they think they can do anything. Their mind tells them that they have the experience and they are still young to show it off. Often times I see people in their mid-thirties driving recklessly with there brand new cars. I wonder what is going through there heads at that time. I am sorry to say, but I have become accustom to seeing middle-aged drivers weaving between traffic while concentrating on other people in other cars. Personally I don’t feel safe when that is occurring and the fact that there is nothing I can do to stop them upsets me even more. Often times I call the police with my cell phone, but I am never confident that they will catch him in action and that he will receive a ticket. So I just get out of his way and pray that he doesn’t hurt anybody along the way.

I sympathize with some drivers, only because driving can be touch. There are lots of things to think about at once and mistakes do happen. What good drivers do is try there best to limit bad situations. “Bad” drivers choose not to respect the other drivers on the road, which causes conflicts and accidents. The term “Road Rage” is used when “bad” drivers get riled up from simple mistakes. They take other driver’s techniques and moves personal, which is a serious problem and can cause tragic results.

Although people may still think young drivers are the worst drivers on the road, they should not generalize all young people as being “bad” drivers. Everyone is different and should be judged differently depending on there actual driving skills. Statistically young drivers are known for their high crash rates. One of the reasons it is the highest is because there are more young drivers on the road then senior citizens and middle age drivers.

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