Cut new drivers a little slack as they join us on McHenry roads

You're liable to see new drivers on the roads of

McHenry. Sometimes, you'll know because
of the sign on the roof of their car. Other
times, you may notice a novice driver by
the way that they drive. In any case, cut them a
little slack. We were all new drivers once.

We see them on the roads each spring here in McHenry. No, I’m not talking about deer, racoons, wild turkeys or other denizens of nature that venture out as the weather warms. I’m talking about new drivers.

Often nervous about the new experience of operating a vehicle on our roads, new drivers, often still driving on driver’s permits, can pose a challenge to us all. Due to their anxiety, they may be hesitant about maneuvers the rest of us (hopefully) take for granted. They may forget to properly signal their intentions, such as a planned turn on Route 120 in McHenry.

They may accelerate suddenly, not intentionally but because they’re still getting accustomed to the gas pedal in the vehicles they drive. They may have the same problem with the brake pedal.

While the rest of us may find this unpredictable behavior frustrating, we should try to remember how we felt when we first took to the roads. We all started somewhere.

Inevitably, a new driver’s hesitancy will prompt a horn to be blown, for instance when a light turns green and they take too long to get going. Such occasions may even prompt impatient drivers to yell something out the window or even make ‘visual communication.’ But the more time they spend on the road, the more comfortable most of these new drivers will get, especially after they get their driver’s licenses.

While many new drivers are cautious and hesitant, they’re not all that way.

Some new drivers are overconfident. Some are nearly reckless. They don’t fully appreciate the power of an automobile and may exceed their ability to stay in control.

As drivers who have spent some time on the roads now, we’ve grown accustomed to how our vehicles will respond when he press the accelerator of depress the brake pedal. We know how our vehicle feels when we take turns. We have a good idea what speed to maintain when going into curves on the road.

We also know how important it is to be aware of what’s going on around us as we drive. We see kids playing catch near the road and we know that one of them could run into the road in front of us to retrieve a ball that got away.

When we lights shining on a parked car, we know that someone may be planning to enter traffic. We also know that we can’t count on them to see us coming and to wait for their turn. We’ve adapted habits, hopefully good habits, that will help us to operate vehicles on the roads safely.

Those new drivers don’t have that experience yet. But they’re joining us on the roads around McHenry anyhow. We need to give them a little time to gain that experience. A little patience will do us both some good.

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