More than Mechanics:
The Personal Side of Driving

Your personality is reflected in your driving. How you manage frustration, stress, time pressures, surprises, and fatigue all have an effect on your driving.

For teens, peer pressure also is a huge influence. You will never be more susceptible to peer pressure than you are now, and the combination of driving and peer pressure can put you in real danger.

• You may only drink and get behind the wheel once...
• Use drugs and then drive once...
• Drive when you're really exhausted once...

But once is all it takes to change, or even end, your life or the lives of others.

Even if you are not impaired by a substance, distractions and emotions can pose risks. Leading distractions to drivers include taking eyes off the road to play a CD; eating and drinking while driving; performing personal grooming; becoming engaged in an intense conversation (with passengers and on cell phones); consulting a map; looking at passengers; or rearranging or reaching for personal belongings.

Road rage makes for a catchy headline, but the risk is real. If you have a quick temper, learning to control your impulses is critically important for you. Keep your cool. Practice consistent courtesy to others. If other drivers become upset with you, don't escalate the situation.

There are times when friends are going to encourage you to take unnecessary risks. They may seem like small things - skipping the safety belt or driving a little faster. It's hard to say no. But when you have the car, you are in charge, guided by the Parent-Teen Agreement. In fact, some teens say this family contract gives them an easy out, because they can explain they are not willing to face the consequences of what friends want them to do.

Next: 10 Common Behaviors by Teen Drivers