September 17th, Saturday— An overcast, but warm, late summers day. The last day of my life as I knew it. I had turned 21 the month before and was looking forward to my trip to California. Where I would attend the Musicians Institute for Guitar. All the arrangements had been made. I had already been playing guitar for 16 years and had dreams of becoming "A Rock Guitar legend."

I had been told by many that I had great musical talent. Unfortunately, I also possessed a propensity for speed.

Don't get caught by surprise while you're driving! To increase your awareness of potential conflicts, always ask yourself  "WHAT IF . . ." about each item that may end up in your path of travel. How many "WHAT IF's . . ." can you spot?

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Richard F. Weingroff at the Federal Highway Administration has composed a great list of ROAD SONGS with lyrics. There may be other highway song lists on the internet, including lists with more detail, more songs, and more performers. But here's the Highway History page list-for what it's worth. Click Here to See Song List. But remember... while you boogie, WATCH THE ROAD!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed the following "checklist" for parental use in helping new drivers learn safe driving skills. Driver education begins the process in teaching teenagers how to drive. However, parental involvement is crucial to the student driver in developing more advanced road skills. See Chart Below.

Driving a motor vehicle in the United States is the single most dangerous activity that we participate in on a daily basis. Every time we get into a motor vehicle there is the potential of being killed or maimed. A son, a daughter, a parent or a friend could be killed in a split second, because they took their eyes off the road, or took a chance, or didn't have the experience to handle an unexpected driving event.

If a vehicle drifts just five to six feet, it could result in a head-on collision; over 40,000 people die yearly in motor vehicle crashes! Many of these are young people.

There is no single season when aggressive drivers are out in force. They are on the roads throughout the year, regardless of the weather, the day of the week or the holiday. Also, there is no single reason why they behave poorly. Aggressive driving isn't only about road rage. It's also about endangering other road-users by ignoring laws, taking risks and intimidation. When you head to the driver's seat, leave your pride behind.