Observing the twisted wreckage that was once my car, I came to a conclusion: Thank JesusGodAllahBuddahZeus that I am alive. As the squad cars lights flashed over the smoldering wreckage, I sat on the curb in a state of shock. Thoughts stormed through my head as I rubbed the spot that had slammed into my right hand window. What the hell had just happened? A small crowd of people had gathered around the intersection of Rainier and Orcas, where my blue Honda CRV sat maimed. Frustrated drivers barked orders as cars haltingly maneuvered around the wreck, their passengers craning their necks to take in the scene.

When my parents arrived, their reactions were a mixture of relief and rage. The motherly police officer informed us that if I would have had passengers in the backseat, the probability that they would have survived would have been slim, seeing as the right side passenger door was now completely concave. My hands would not stop shaking. When we arrived home, I took out my driver’s license and set it on the kitchen counter. I swore I would never touch it again.

It would appear that I am a horrendous driver. Over the course of one month, I have built up an impressive resume, boasting both speeding tickets and a moving violation. My license already has a pending suspension, and my insurance rate is flying through the roof. And now I have managed to total my car.

But am I a disaster on the road and a menace to society? Not any more than the typical sixteen-year-old driver. According to statistics gathered by the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, sixteen-year-olds have the highest crash rates than drivers of any other age. This statistic comes as no surprise. Teenagers are notorious for their wild driving habits, inspired by the excitement at their newfound freedom.

When a driver’s license is earned, a whole world of possibilities is opened: parties are more accessible now that the bus is not the only means of transportation, and your parents cannot as easily monitor your activities. It seems as if there are no limits to your adventures and mischief, and nothing life throws in your path can halt the fun. When you see statistics of the dangers of teenage driving, you scoff. That seventeen-year-old you see on TV who was killed in a collision on his way over to his friend’s house could never be you. You’re too smart and responsible for that to ever happen. But after you’ve turned off the news and get ready to leave for your friend’s house in your parent’s minivan, it’s too late to realize just how much you resemble that kid on TV.

It doesn’t matter how careful, responsible, and intelligent you think you are. The probability that you will crash within the six month period before and after you get your license is higher than you would think. It only takes mere seconds for a collision to occur. One minute, you could be driving down an arterial on the way to your friend’s house about to make a left hand turn on green. The next, you could be slammed against the side of your car by the force of a collision. You or your passengers could even be dead. It only takes a few seconds for everything to change.

Driving is a privilege that you can hardly help abusing. There is too much responsibility given too soon. As teenagers, we have only just being responsible our own lives. How can we be expected to be responsible for our passengers as well as countless others who occupy the road? We learn from the mistakes caused by our poor judgment. By severely messing up on something, we will be far less likely to repeat the mistake that caused it. Lessons are learned from these errors, giving the driver more experience. But is that lesson worth the loss of someone’s life?

Not every teen drives, and not every teen drives irresponsibly. But the fact is you don’t have to be a bad driver to get in an accident. It can happen to anyone. Just ask me.