Turning sixteen means the keys to a set of wheels - that's what makes it such an important day in most young people's lives. It's not just the fact of driving, it's the thought of the freedom that it brings with it. It's the threshold to a new phase in your life, the stepping stone to independence. It's a cutting away from the apron strings. But it is essential to remember that it takes preparation and training. This is when the basics of driving will be ingrained in you and it's better to start right.

Many young people depend on their parents to teach them and this may not be such a good idea. For one thing, personal issues come into play. For another, a parent is not really qualified in the art and science of driving. Bad habits could be passed down without realizing. The parent might have learned well when he was young but a lot of essentials could have been left by the wayside over the years. Most parents feel the job is done once their child can start, steer, navigate, brake and park. "There's nothing to it...I'll teach you in a day!"

It's best to realize that driver training should be viewed in a serious light and should ideally be left to the professionals. There are many recognized training schools across the country. You'll find they usually offer an in-class and on-the-road combination of teaching. On the road, the special training car ensures the trainer has control of the car as well to avoid accidents. Theory in the class is followed up by practical demonstration on the road. The basics of driving etiquette as well as the rules are hammered in. Safe habits are inculcated right in the beginning as it's always difficult to change a bad habit that's set in.

When it is taught officially and formally, driving also becomes a discipline. We need more responsible drivers on our roads. So let's teach them young. To treat the road with care, to treat pedestrians with respect and to treat themselves with discipline.