Every family has its own traditions, whether it’s playing flag football on Thanksgiving Day, opening one present under the tree on Christmas Eve or taking a family vacation every summer. Me? My family passed down the tradition of not being able to drive until your 18th birthday.

My mother, being one of 10 siblings, endured a policy that my grandmother made up — no one could drive until they were 18. As she put it, “With 10 kids, it’s more than likely that at least one of you will get in a car crash. And when that happens, I don’t want to be sued for everything I’m worth. But, when you get in a car crash and get sued for all you’re worth, you probably won’t have much to lose.”

Thus began a fantastic family tradition (thanks, grandma).

My cousin, who just turned 16 last week, texted me saying she had “just been driving around town.” We share the same grandmother — my mom and her dad are siblings — but her family did not pass down the same policy on driving. Instead, they made her sign a “Parent-Teen Driving Contract.”

As a teenager, specifically a high school sophomore legally allowed to drive in a few months, I’ve found most of my friends eagerly counting down the days until they can get behind the wheel. Of course, each family has different policies on driving, buying your own car, paying for your own insurance, driving your mom’s old SUV, or receiving a car for your 16th birthday.

One of my friends recently got her driver’s license and was telling me about the first time she drove alone on the freeway. She was in the slow lane because all the other cars were going faster than her. Suddenly, a car tailgated her and honked at her! Apparently, going 60 in a 60 mph zone is just unacceptable! He soon passed her, gave her a hand gesture, and sped away.

Another family friend had just received her driver’s permit. She was returning home one day, so she slowly pulled into her driveway and planned to park right in front of the garage door. To stop, she placed her foot on what she thought was the brake. It was the gas, and the car bust straight through the garage door!

To us teens, driving at 16 is a rite of passage. It represents freedom, and the ability to go where we want, when we want, to do what we want.

Not all teens are responsible on the road. It is reported that 16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age, and over half of teenagers have admitted to risky behaviors while driving, like texting or talking on their phones.

In the end, every family has to decide on their own rules for teens and driving. Right now, I wish I was allowed to get my license with the rest of my friends. But in 20 years, who knows what my opinion will be?

Maria Proulx of Ledyard is a sophomore at St. Bernard School in Montville.