(WSIL)---Zane Williard and Clark Anderson are both 15-years-old and have been in driver's education for about a month.
Like most kids, they feel that learning to drive can be exciting, but also a little nerve wracking.
"I'm very nervous. It takes a while to get used to it at first and your nervousness slowly starts to fade away but it's always there in the back of your min," said Anderson.Â
"The first few times, I was nervous, but once I got the feel of it, it wasn't too bad," said Williard.Â
Kim Wheeler has taught drivers education for about 30 years, and she said there are a few obstacles teens face when they get on the road.
"Teen drivers, they haven't had nearly as much experience as an adult driver has had, so the more that we can offer them, we're hoping they can increase their defensive driving knowledge so that they're more prepared when they get out on the road," said Wheeler.Â
But Wheeler also said there is a big problem teens face while driving.
"Well the phone is number one right now," she added.Â
Experts agree.
According to AAA, distraction plays a role in 6 out of 10 teen crashes. 60% of teen drivers killed in crashes weren't wearing a seatbelt. And speeding is a factor in 30 percent of teen fatal crashes.
As teenagers are on the road, Williard has advice for other teens his age, and why it's important to stay safe.
"Just driving slow. I feel like kids my age, they're on the go 24/7 and they wanna be there as fast as possible, and just weighing the risks versus the rewards of speeding, like how much danger you're putting yourself in," said Williard.Â
AAA also says that parents can help discourage risky driving behaviors in teens by setting good driving examples early on.
