While most of my classmates are destined for tropical, parent-funded vacations in exotic locations, I’m looking forward to significantly less striking spring break — a road trip to Panama City Beach for a wedding. My cousin, best friend and I will embark on our 17-hour road trip from the nation’s capitol, to the bottom of the map, making a pit stop in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

I’m pretty excited to get to Florida, see my family and get some much needed sun, but the thought of being cramped in a very small vehicle with three strong personalities for such a long drive is a bit daunting. The break in Myrtle Beach, which will hopefully include lunch and outlet-mall shopping, will put a dent in the terrible drive, but I’m still anticipating an unpleasant ordeal.

Until then, I’m trying to get as much rest as possible, mapping out our very lengthy route and prepping my iPod playlists for the road. I’ll check in during the trip, as we make our way on what could possibly be the most interesting road trip in the history of spring break! Get excited!

Ryan

Being trapped in the house with two roommates for a week of impromptu snow days quickly went from exciting to boring to torturous. Food was running low; an impending power outage was headed our way; and we’d been sitting together in the same room, in the same pajamas, for what seemed like a month.

One of us had the bright idea to dig the car out and make a trip to the only place that might be open during a blizzard – the grocery store. Unfortunately our plans were quickly foiled after we realized we didn’t have a working shovel. So we took to gazing out the window at the unlucky drivers attempting to maneuver through the tundra that had once been our busy street.

Within 30 minutes, we witnessed two cars slide through a stop sign, a car get stuck in the snow and then a messy altercation following an unavoidable accident. I was instantly thankful that my roommates and I were stuck in the house dealing with cabin fever, and not a driving disaster. Lesson learned — in bad weather conditions, it is smarter (and safer) to avoid driving altogether.

Ryan

In my short time behind the wheel, I’ve seen it all. From the guy who cranks up his music as loud as possible to the one who speeds from one red light to another in his sports car to make sure he’s seen. Do we see you? Yes. Do we find this attractive? No.

Not only does this not work, but more importantly, it’s dangerous! How can you possibly concentrate on the road when you’re attempting to attract the attention of a girl who probably won’t entertain the childish behavior anyway?

It’s slightly comical that anyone would resort to such antics to get a girl’s attention. Guys, take my advice. Instead of using drive time to catch girls, opt to pay attention to the road instead. We don’t respond well to honking anyway.

Ryan

What about a more thoughtful gift? Instead of flowers (that will wilt in a week), or a box of chocolates (which I could easily polish off in one sitting), it might be nice to get a more thoughtful gift…maybe a bag of kitty litter? A blanket or tire gauge? Maybe even some spare change?

Although these trinkets may sound like the worst attempt at a Valentine’s Day present ever, they actually make for thoughtful, and more importantly useful gifts. A bag of kitty litter is perfect for creating traction on a slippery road. A blanket can be used for comfort or warmth in an emergency, and a tire gauge can ensure that your tires are properly inflated. What can one do with spare change (besides feeding a parking meter)? A penny is perfect for checking tire tread depth!

So this Valentine’s Day, consider a more practical (and affordable) route. Show your special someone how much you care about his or her safety and have a safe, and undoubtedly memorable, Valentine’s Day.

Ryan

Never mind my tendency to drift to the right side of the road, or my overwhelming desire to mess with the radio until I found the perfect driving song. But when she didn’t immediately toss the keys into my upturned and expecting hands, I was slightly mortified.

All my friends knew I was taking my road test on my birthday, and being one of the first to get my license, there were high expectations. We were supposed to ride around blasting music, maybe stop by McDonald’s, or take an impromptu trip to the mall. But my mother was stopping me dead in my tracks.

“What you’re telling me is that you want to get in my car and drive around the city with the music blasting and four other overexcited girls in the car?” my mother asked.

Two little words immediately flew out my mouth, “Uh-yeah.” At the time, I didn’t see what possibly could have been the problem – I had passed my road test! Regardless of the small-scale tantrum I threw, my mother didn’t budge.

Needless to say, it was weeks before I had the chance to take an impromptu drive, or even go to our neighborhood McDonald’s. And when I did visit McDonald’s, there was only one, relatively calm friend in the passenger seat.

My mother’s efforts to keep me safe, disguised as cruel and unusual punishment, were definitely a bummer. But I guess it’s true what they say, “Mama always knows best.”

Ryan

So, in a flurry of rushed bowls of cereal and last-minute grooming, we fly out to the car and leap in. Class starts in four minutes, but we live 10 minutes away from campus. Now what? Two of the four girls in the car instinctively buckle their seatbelts, while the other two continue to primp until the maternal one of the group checks to make sure everyone’s buckled in, forcing the stragglers to comply.

Without so much as a second thought, our driver burns rubber down an alley and onto a main street, which is unfortunately congested with the usual morning traffic at a particularly long red light. Other hurried drivers take advantage of a lack of oncoming traffic in the neighboring lane by crossing over into the wrong lane to ensure they make the left turn at the light.

There is a split-second decision to be made. Does my speed demon of a driver roommate risk getting a ticket and endangering our lives to make a quicker turn? Or does she suck it up and wait with the other law-abiding citizens at the unusually long light?

To make a long story short, we wait at the light for at least 10 minutes and arrive to class more than 20 minutes late. But at least we arrived safely, and without breaking any laws.

Ryan

The world was at my fingertips, I could go anywhere — and do anything that rising gas prices would allow. I was as free as a bird. That was roughly four years ago. Since then I’ve had my share of experiences that have lived up to my then sky-high expectations, as well as those that have introduced me to the less fun side of driving.

My name is Ryan Foster, and I’m a 20-year-old college student. Born and raised in Detroit, I now live in Washington, D.C., attend Howard University, and work as a fellow for Public Strategies who works on the Think Before You Drive program on behalf of Bridgestone Americas. I write for my school newspaper, participate in campus organizations and now serve as a blogger for Think Before You Drive. I’m terribly excited to share my experiences and thoughts on teen driving with anyone who might listen, so here we go!

Ryan

The holidays were fun, but what’s not so fun is this winter weather. I’m sorry, you polar bears out there, but I cannot stand cold weather. Even snow gets me in a bad mood. I used to hope for enough snow to cancel school, but now that I have to be outside in it, my tune has changed a little! Being forced to walk outside in the snow and ice is a brutal experience, but having to drive in it —now, that’s an ordeal.

Throughout the year, drivers tend to take the little details of their cars — from the tire tread, drive train, transmission and even the brakes — for granted. But now that winter is officially here, those little things will become very important. Winter driving is dangerous, so I’ve researched some tips you can use to improve your safety and make sure your car is ready for the snow and ice:

Give your car a checkup. Emphasize the car’s brakes, fluids and electrical parts, especially the battery. You need to make sure your brakes aren’t worn out, your antifreeze is full and that there are no leaks anywhere.

Check the tread on your tires. The way I learned to do this was the “penny method” — place a penny on its edge inside the tread, so that Abe Lincoln’s head is pointed towards the tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, then your tread is too worn.

Make sure all the tires, and the spare, are inflated to the right level.

Know your car! Does it have front-wheel drive? Rear-wheel drive? Four-wheel drive? Two-wheel drive? Knowing the characteristics of your vehicle will make you better prepared for hazardous weather.

Slow down on slick roads. This will help your traction and will leave you with plenty of room to stop.

Turn on your lights for maximum visibility. It will help other drivers see you.

And most importantly, if the weather looks really bad, don’t drive in it! Simply staying off the road during hazardous conditions is the safest choice you can make.

Please be safe this winter!

Konrad

The first: Holiday traffic. It is absolutely nuts. Yes, I am mainly referring to my mall experiences, as I never have to make pilgrimages to visit family in nearby or far off states. Parking lot stalking is at its seasonal peak, jumping out in front of oncoming traffic is more popular than ever, and avoiding fender benders seems to take the backseat to glancing down at lists and checking things off. Just sayin’.

Secondly: Don’t drive drunk. My friend called me the other night in a panic because he had witnessed some drunk guy who would sleep in his car for a few minutes while waiting at a red light and then almost run into two different poles and almost run into three different cars who were oblivious to his situation. “I really thought I was going to see someone die just now,” he said nervously. “It was the scariest thing.”

Lastly, do you get your oil changed regularly? Yesterday I glanced at my friendly reminder sticker on my windshield and I was two months overdue. Shame on me.

With that, I leave you to fight the traffic, avoid the drunks and get my oil changed.

Merry Christmas,

Sarah

Eric