Being a new driver has its freedoms and responsibilities. You have the freedom to drive wherever you want, whenever you want. The responsibility is to obey the laws and drive with care.

These days, new drivers abuse this opportunity. I have only driven for a short period of time and I have already had near misses with teens my age almost hitting my vehicle.

The focus appears to be on the passengers in the car rather than on the road and its other users.

Passengers can be just as distracting as texting or talking on the phone. The province’s distracted driving law should include this absent-mindedness. This will make roads much safer and decrease the rate of vehicular accidents.

Interaction with passengers can be very distracting, more so than some of the restrictions placed on all drivers in Alberta on Sept. 1.

Ashley Neufeld, 17, Leduc

via Edmonton Journal