You’ve seen it before on social media. All your friends posting their pictures in front of the BMV in downtown Elkhart just after they got their license, and even though you are happy for them, you can’t help but feel like you are falling a bit behind.

I am here to tell you that it is okay if you don’t get your license by the age of 16 or 17. For some students it is not as easy to obtain a license as it is for others.

Even though it feels like you might not be doing enough, just know that you are probably not alone. Some of your own classmates don’t have the money to get a car or the money to have insurance, which is even more costly for teenagers than it is for adults. Even if you do have the money to obtain all of the resources to obtain your license, one still needs to consider just how ready you actually are to get on the road. For context, the crash rate for sixteen through nineteen year olds is three times the rate than drivers who are twenty and older. For this exact reason, some teenagers may even suffer from driving anxiety.

Although not common, driving anxiety usually refers to the fear of driving and possibly getting into an accident. People who suffer from this often map out their whole route before getting on the road.

Personally, driving has always been hard for me because of this exact reason. Car accidents from the past can cause people to become anxious when driving on the road themselves. Take it from me, it is okay to wait on your license if you are not ready for the road yet. It is important to take your time. It may feel like everyone else has more freedom than you because they have a car and license, but just know that your day will come.

So for now, gratefully rely on your parents, friends, or whoever to give you those rides. Just know that you are not less of a person just because you don’t have a car or license.

Besides, we are still teenagers, so don’t feel the need to rush.