Drive responsibly

If you graduated from high school between the years 2005 and 2007 we ask you this: have you taken stock of how many of your immediate or extended friends have been in a motor vehicle collision in the last six months?

Think about how many of them were drinking, speeding or fell asleep at the wheel.

Think about how many of them ended up in the hospital in critical condition. Now, think about how many of them made it home at the end of it all.

Extend your thoughts from just collisions and think about how many friends you know who were affected by a kidnapping or assaulted by thieves. These occurences have made being an adolescent driver a much harder task than needs be.

These have been sad times, though some of it is avoidable. Young drivers you've all heard the pleas from your parents to be safe on the road. Is the desire to be rebellious or 'hard-of-hearing' more significant to you than seeing members of your household another day? We sincerely hope not.

In light of these events, their words should carry an even greater burden and so become aware of your actions and your surroundings. If not then think of your peers, the very people you drive to school or parties with. We at TEENage are beseeching you to be more conscious of your activities on the road.

Your BlackBerry (or any other cell phone for that matter) does not need to be in your hand all the time especially when you are driving and even more so if you are driving at night. Believe it or not it is not an extension of your body. It is just a phone. The 'ping', e-mail, or text can wait and if it really can't, then simply pull over. Inexperienced drivers should be well aware of their limits. We are by no means immortal or invulnerable.

For the speed-hungry TEENs, racing should be done over at Dover, not coming down Hope Road. An empty road is not an excuse for speeding; driving at 50 mph instead of 140 mph provides a greater chance of you getting to your destination safely. You don't have to make that big a mistake while speeding to end up in a wall or someone else's car.

If you're not accustomed to driving long distances or at late hours don't compound your difficulty by attempting this.

Fatigue is incredibly debilitating, do not take it lightly. It takes mere seconds to fall asleep and drift off the road. You should stop your car before it's too late -- vehicle, by-stander or light pole should not be your brake. Be responsible enough to know and adhere to your limitations.

What you should keep in mind while you are on the road is that when you drive carelessly you are not only putting your life at risk, but also passengers and pedestrians. As a responsible driver you should consider everyone around you.

In addition to what we have said, driving alone may not be the smartest course of action in these times. Ideally, it would be wonderful if there was always someone with you and in a case where you are attending a party and you know you will be tempted to drink, have a designated driver in the car, maybe even two, should you be unable to return home.

As for the things we cannot control, we can only try and anticipate. Be more observant upon exiting the car at night. When possible, drive in groups.

Our hearts go out those who have been affected and it is TEENage's sincerest hope that we can avoid anymore trauma. Too many of our peers are being hurt or leaving this world before their time.

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