I started flying when I was quite young and soloed as soon as I was of legal age to do so. By that time I had already flown many of the Piper and Beechcraft planes with my dad (ex Marine Air corps). Even back in the sixties and seventies there were several instances where only his experiences got us out. He always said the primary difference between instrument rated pilots and the others was that they had the knowledge to know when not to fly and the training to get out of tight spots. Even with that, there was one time when we got caught in a severe downdraft on an approach...I woke up upside down and crawled out. He had been at the controls.
Today, the skies in the U.S. are far more congested. Whatever you may do, get the best instructor you can and don't stop your training even after you have your basic certifications. Too, plan to fly at least once a week. Learning how to recover from stalls, spins, and even the basic maneuvers for getting out of other emergency situations is well worth the practice. A near roll once saved us from a mid-air. There is a lot more to flying today than simply taking lessons for 8 to 10 hours and then going solo.