1. When I was a teenager I was a careless driver and received several speeding tickets.

2. I was lectured by several different police officers, and eventually had to take a defensive driver's class. The DMV threatened to take away my driver's license, and my insurance company raised my premiums considerably.

a. When I was receiving my tickets I felt guilty. Afterwards I thought it to be unfair, and that I was in some way being picked on.

b. I was followed by police more regularly than the average driver. My friends and family commonly made jokes about my driving record.

c. With each speeding ticket (I received a total of 3) the labeling increased. After the first and second ticket I didn't really care. Sure I had to pay a considerable fine, but overall I wasn't in any threat of losing my license. In my mind speeding was okay because the majority of Americans speed on a daily basis. I just thought I was the unlucky person who got caught. It was after the third ticket that my way of thinking had changed. The DMV threatened to take my license away. I was ordered to attend a defensive driving class. I was also told that if I received another ticket between my 17th birthday and my 21st birthday that my license could be suspended, and if I was caught driving with a suspended license I would be fined, placed in jail for up to 60 days, and my license revoked for several years.

3. If I had been made to feel that speeding was a deviant behavior when I first started driving I probably would have taken it more seriously. I think it is important for adults to stress the importance of safe driving.