As some sophomores, juniors, and seniors earn their learner’s permits and driver’s licenses, they face the risks associated with this new found freedom. Berkeley juniors Josh Hodorski and Elizabeth Carter have both experienced the down side to this freedom when they got into car accidents this year.

On Hodorski’s way to the Fall Out Boy and Paramore concert in July, he found himself in a lane that wouldn’t allow him to reach the exit that leads to the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater. In order to be able enter the correct exit, he needed to first merge into the far right lane. On his way into this lane, he encountered another driver.

“I was trying to merge and the guy in front of me stopped and I didn’t see him,” Hodorski said, “It was all so sudden.” After he got into the accident, he immediately stopped and pulled over to the emergency lane. “I called the cops after I pulled over so they could come help get everything straightened out,” Hodorski said. Hodorski waited approximately an hour for the policer officer to arrive at the accident site, but once she showed up, Hodorski says that she acted “cool.” According to Hodorski, “The cop showed up and was really laid back and just helped us get everything worked out.”

Fortunately neither driver received a ticket. “My parents figured that it would happen eventually so they didn’t react as badly as I thought they would”. After all was said and done, Hodorski made it to the concert an hour late but still enjoyed the show.

Carter experienced a car accident in October. She was driving on Veterans Expressway and her lane was ending quickly, so she had to merge immediately. Carter started to enter the lane to her left, when a car sped into the same lane and cut her off. “My immediate response is to swerve to the right to avoid hitting the car, but I just ended up hitting the concrete barrier on the side of the lane. I was so terrified and upset and extremely distraught.” Carter was the only one left at the accident scene since the person who cut her off drove away. “There was no other person involved so I didn’t really think I needed to call the cops”. Once she got home, her father ignored the cracked headlight and “was glad no one was hurt in the accident.”

The Center for Disease Control documented that in 2011, approximately 2,650 teens in the United States aged 16–19 were killed and almost 292,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. The CDC also reported that newly licensed teens’ crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure. The important thing is that if you get into a car accident, whether serious or minor, it is important to call the police. Officers help file reports and resolve conflicts between the people in the accident. When driving, be as careful as possible, but if an accident does happen, remain calm and mature instead of panicking or driving away. Accidents are sometimes inevitable, but remember that newfound driving freedom also comes with responsibility.