This week, I took the role of the responsible passenger instead of the driver. My goal was to speak up wherever my driving is driving in a way that’s not safe. To be honest, this was probably one of the most challenging parts of the pledge because I drive most of the time. The fewer times that I am a passenger to my parents, it’s not normal to tell your own parent how to drive because they are more experienced drivers than I am. They are the ones that taught me how to drive after all.
I was able to get through, luckily , with my little sister who got her license just last month. We also both work at the the same workplace with the same hours. This made it easier for me to drive with her often. Usually, I drove us to work most of the time. But for this week, instead of driving myself, I let her drive while I sat next to her as a passenger. Because I was the bit more experienced driver than she was, I allowed myself to become “the parent” of her driving. My sister is a good for a new driver, but like all drivers we sometimes make mistakes on the road. So it was my job to make sure that I point out those mistakes and advise my sister on what to do in certain situations. I also remind her of safe driving as what I’m practicing right now, such as not using her phone and putting out distractions.
I’ve learned to become a more verbal driver from speaking up as a passenger. Being verbal is good because it helps me to be more aware of someone else’s driving, and to say something if my driver makes unsafe errors on the road. This can even help my own driving in a way that I can mentally talk to myself in order for me to be more actively conscious of my driving.
Aaron's Teen Driver Blog 