One of the coolest rites of passage about being a high school student is when you learn how to drive. The huge privilege of independence finally presents itself to us at the ripe age of 16, and it’s so much fun to take full advantage of the new possibilities.

Personally, I was a little late to the game, as I was extremely busy and had to postpone my driving lessons a few years ago. Speaking of, there are a lot of things my driving instructor never warned me about… and I’ve had to adapt after the hardship. Lucky for you, I have learned a few lessons in my 15 months of driving that I’d like to share.

1. THE FREEWAY IS A BATTLEFIELD!

When I started driving with my instructor, I was told that the freeway was a balanced scale, with cars delicately entering and exiting, as I would do once I merged onto it. NO!! THAT IS THE BIGGEST LIE I HAVE HEARD SINCE I WAS TOLD COVID WOULD ONLY LAST TWO WEEKS!

Driving on the freeway is TERRIFYING! If you happen to be lucky, the transfer onto the five-lane road of metallic death can be somewhat smooth. However, most of the time there’s a jerk in a Tesla on autopilot watching TikTok on their phone not paying attention to the fact that you’re trying to merge. No matter, the freeway is definitely something that takes patience and courage.

Olivia Nicholas ’23 shares her thoughts, “When I first started driving on the freeway, it was nerve-wracking. Merging on is definitely scary, and the rapid acceleration freaks me out. But once I’m settled and not worrying about exiting any time soon, it’s fine. I guess.”

2. LET’S GO! DEFENSE!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a peaceful cruise down the highway, no worries whatsoever? BUT WE CAN’T EVEN HAVE THAT, CAN WE?! Unless you are driving at 11:30 at night, something you can’t do until you’ve been driving for a year, you must always drive defensively.

Allison Lillestol ’23 says, “I just assume that no one else knows how to drive and that they’re all out to get me.” Wise words from Ally here: “Truck drivers are the worst. They are so slow and the ALWAYS cut me off. They never see me, but I’m there, they just merge as if I’m not.”

Always be prepared to have bad drivers around you. You can be the best driver around, but your surroundings determine whether you make it out alive.

3. IT’S THE PO-PO!

When you start driving, always keep your eyes open for common police-watch stops. I, for one, have a police stop area right by my house (because for some reason people always speed down my street). However, I use this information to make sure that I’m always on my best driving behavior on my way to school. I mean– I’m a great driver… nothing to worry about here!

Mrs. Barclay ’94 advises, “Keep your eyes peeled for areas underneath freeway overpasses; they are a great place for a cop car to camp out and watch you.” I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t gifted this golden nugget of wisdom when I first learned how to drive.

With all things said, driving can be a fun experience, and I wish you all luck as you take to the road. Happy driving Royals!