Safety within the parking lot has always been a priority for Huntley High School. To reduce accidents and driving casualties, Huntley has enforced both green stickers to punish bad driving behaviors and safety patrols to control the flow of traffic at the end of the day.

Although these safety precautions have been beneficial to the atmosphere of the parking lot for upperclassmen that drive to school, there is always the issue that rolls around near the end of the school year: sophomore parking passes. 

A majority of the sophomores collecting these parking passes at the end of the year have only been driving for five to seven months. Some have only been driving for a week. With so much inexperience, the risk of danger within the parking lot skyrockets. 

“When it came to getting a parking pass sophomore year, I was a reckless driver,” junior Briana Radermacher said. “I would always drive too close to the car in front of me.”

Mistakes are bound to happen with new drivers. With so many of them, the mistakes could add up and lead to further issues. 

“Many times kids think they are in the clear and unfortunately they are not, causing them to pull out in front of other drivers,” junior Sophie Kaczmarski said. “New drivers cannot always handle challenging situations, especially in such a small space.”

The parking lot can also be a chaotic space for new drivers. Since so much traffic is built up in the morning and after school, new drivers may not know how to drive in it yet. As well, new drivers come in with a mindset about the priority of themselves over safety. 

As a driver who got into an accident while driving in the parking lot as a sophomore, I can see the differences in my driving now compared to when I was new. I thought driving would be easy, but with so many new drivers around me with so much going on, I was overwhelmed quickly.

On the other hand, it is essential that sophomores attempt to drive in the parking lot now so these new driving errors can be resolved and are not continued into the start of next year. Students that begin driving before the first day of school next year are more familiar with the parking lot and less likely to get into an accident. 

“I think it was a good idea to get my parking pass when I did even though I did get into an accident, because it taught me so much going into my junior year,” Radermacher said. 

Sophomores are eager to collect these passes as it is finally their opportunity to prove they can drive independently and have a sense of responsibility. 

“I think the majority of my class is excited to have parking passes because it gives us a sense of independence by being able to drive ourselves to school instead of having to take the bus or get dropped off by our parents,” sophomore Hayley Jacobsen said. “I feel confident in myself and my classmates to be responsible and safe in the parking lot by following the rules to ensure safe driving.”

Parking passes are also a good way for the school to make some extra money before the end of the school year. Since so many drivers are eager to get one, the money adds up quickly. 

Overall, sophomore parking passes have their benefits and drawbacks. Even if sophomores are mature enough to safely drive within the parking lot, the safety of upperclassmen should be ensured.