Maintain Driving Fun
When you think about it, what do most kids associate with driving responsibly? Nagging parents and boring rules. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. Obviously you want to be safe, but you don’t want to sacrifice fun, and you want to be able to drive your own way.  That’s all fine, and there are ways to get both.  When you get in the car with your friends, you’re probably not going to be thinking about what your parents said, or anything you learned in driver’s ed.  Well, that’s something that will probably never change with teenagers, but as you slowly gain experience as a driver, there are baby steps you can take to become a more responsible driver, steps that don’t change your life, or prevent you from having fun.

Require a Seat Belt
Try setting rules in your own car.  For example: insist that in your car, everyone wears their seat belt.  If your friends give you a hard time, tell them you knew someone who died from a car accident that wasn’t wearing their seat belt, or that your parents will take away your car if you don’t follow their rules.  For the most part, your friends will just do it without thinking about it.  When you look at it, seat belts really don’t make driving with friends any less fun.  After 30 seconds you’ve forgotten that it’s even there, but if you’re in an accident it may save your life. 

Avoid Exceeding Car Capacity
Never exceed the capacity of your car.  Tell your friends that you can’t have more passengers than seat belts. Tell them to go with other friends.  Again, you can refer to an accident you read about, or tell them your parents will take away your privileges.  Keep in mind, not wearing your seat belt and exceeding the passenger limit in your car are both illegal in almost every state, and will usually get you a ticket.  Once you get a ticket, your parents will be much more strict with you, and probably even take away your car privileges altogether.

Control Noise Level
Try turning the music down just a little bit sometimes, and tell your friends that’s it’s your car and you can’t concentrate when it’s that high.  They may complain for a second, but a minute or two later they will have moved on and will be talking together about something else. It doesn’t have to be big deal.

Pay Attention to Weather Conditions
At night, or in poor weather conditions, always overestimate the dangers.  Drive slowly and more carefully.  No one can argue with you if you do that.

Take Extra Safety Precautions
Think about getting a cell phone holder that can transmit your calls through your cars speakers.  Besides improving safety immensely, they’re extremely fun and cool.  Also, make sure that you are maintaining your car properly.  Ask for help from a parent or other adult, but keep issues like fluid levels and tire pressure in mind in your day-to-day driving.

Steer Clear of ‘Road Rage’

• Realize that when people drive inappropriately, it is not personal to you
• Allow extra time for your commute to school, work, etc, so you aren’t rushing
• Learn alternative routes to avoid rush-hour traffic
• Use public transportation whenever possible Listen to soothing music

Avoid Unnecessary Trouble
When you think about reasons to drive even a little more safely, think about these possible occurrences. You get your license taken away by the police. Your parents could ban you from driving. You could ruin your parents car, and they make you pay for it, and don’t allow you to drive for 2 years etc, etc. The worst occurrence of all is this, though:  You have friends in the car, and are driving too fast.  You get in an accident for one reason or another, and one of your friends (or more) dies.  Could you live with that?

Driving is a privilege, and something that you could lose at any time, so treat it carefully.  A car is a deadly weapon, and whenever you get behind the wheel, you are in control of the lives of you, your friends, and anyone else out there.  Take these simple and easy steps to improve your safety, and help your friends try to do the same.  Many teenagers don’t want to be “uncool” or made fun of by their friends for being responsible, safe drivers, but think about it really.  Are any of these steps really going to affect the relationship between you and your friends?  No. Teenagers are fickle. You know this; you are one. So, if they make fun of you for even a few minutes, they will forget about it in the next few, and it will be behind you.  No one will ever dislike you because you are “too safe” as a driver.  Remember: You're better safe than sorry!!