You are under 18 and just got your license or are about to get your license. You are excited with a plan on picking up your friends, family, anyone you can think of really. But let me tell you, thinking that way can lead to very harmful decisions.

Getting my license exactly when I hit 16, I had the same reaction as any other teen would, especially since I had already purchased my own car. As harmless as it sounds, giving another person a ride a few months into receiving my license was one of the worst ideas I had in my life. This is why you should wait the standardized year to drive with another person.

Let me share with you my story: 

It was a regular day and I was getting ready to take my boyfriend home, which was very close to where I had lived. Thinking it was a short, simple trip, as I had experience driving out of the city before, I was not worried about anything at all. Then it hit me. Literally. I was driving and as I almost made it across the street, a car had sped up as they saw me, and smashed my car against a curb. With my car in total damage, hers was perfectly brand new still, with just a mirror off. All the hours I spent working to purchase the car, all gone because of one incident. It could have been worse. we were all safe, but why risk it? Regardless of people saying “Oh I can drive very well” you can never trust what other drivers will do. 

I had to learn this lesson of following the law the hard way. Not only was my car damaged, but my boyfriend had suffered from another concussion and I was in fear of severe leg damage because I was unable to stand at first, with my legs fully bruised. Our injuries, on top of the legal repercussions we had to take, were not worth the 5 blocks I tried to drive with another teen. When you get caught driving with another minor, the law is able to impound your car and suspend your license. All these negative aspects took place, making my life a whole lot stressful, all because I let a minor get into my car without waiting the year for my license to legally let me drive with them.