Teenage Driving

[biggiy05]

I am sitting in my Gov't class and I hear a few of the girls in the back talking about a 16 year old girl who was killed in a car wreck yesterday.I didn't really think about it much other than that I am sorry it happened and I just went back to reading my magazine. Well this morning when I was at work and it was still early for ppl to come shopping I was taking a few carts into the lobby and the newark advocate had a picture of a mangled car and a headline that read "16 yr old killed in car crash" so I went over got the paper and started reading it and found out that she was from northridge our rival school and she was at C-tec(can't remember the name but it used to be joint vocational school) she was there studying cosmotology, reading on I found out she had just gotten her license about two weeks ago and she was heading to school on dutch lane and when she went around the curve before the stop sign that joined dutch and 605 she lost control slid off the road and flipped into the ditch. She was killed instantly the state highway patrol said.

Then I really thought that it was sad that it had to happen to her at such a young age. But what made it worse was when I came back up front to get something to drink when I was on lunch, my best friend was balling her eyes out because it was her best friend and she drove by the car as they were pulling it onto a lift. So after talking to her and telling her to go home and relax before the football game it got me thinking. Someone that they interviewed said that kids at that age just don't have the needed experience to drive alone to places. The guy also said that teenagers are the main cause for most of the accidents in the nation, that I won't fight because there have been alot. Anyways he said that we need to be taught how to drive better and the driving test needs to be harder to pass so that teenagers like her(he assumes she was going faster than 50) wouldn't go at such high speeds down the roads.

Over half of his interview made no sense but I just wanted to put my two cents in and say that not all teenagers drive like maniacs, it is actually only a 1/3 of us that do that and the ones that cause the accidents are the ones who think they own the road and can do whatever the hell they want.

Why is it that when a car accident involves a teenager adults go right to the teens saying we are horrible drivers and we don't know how to drive when actually most of us do?

If you actually read this far you must have alot of free time because I do that is why I made this post but I want to know what everyone elses views on teenagers driving and if they think that they should point the finger at us right away all the time because we are the ones with "less experience" when yea we are but some of us can drive better than the adults who are on the road.

[me2]

It's that most teenagers are bad drivers (some drink too much). You might live in a place where the majority are good drivers, but only a few are bad. Everywhere else, it's vice-versa.

(BTW, I've only driven a few times in Mexico, and I only hit one fence.)

[vegeta1215]

I think there are a lot of bad drivers out on the road, it's not just teenagers. I'm a very defeniseve driver and follow the speed limits. At most I drive 5 miles over the speed limit on highways. (maybe 10 if I have to keep up with traffic, but rarely). But, cars still fly by at blazing speeds, changing multiple lanes, swirving in and around cars, not using their turn signals etc. It amazes me that some of these people have licenses.

[Ibis, God of Magicks]

When I got my liscence, I only had to have 3 months of driving under my learners. Within 6 months of getting my liscence, I totaled 3 cars.

Now in Va, I think you have to have like 12 months of driving under a learners. I understand how imortant it is to be able to drive, like in my family where my mom is crippled, it was great having me be able to go to the store and do errands or whatever. But, I do think teenagers need more expierence and more training. Ask DBH, in our High school, we had about 10-20 people every year killed in car accidents.

[Archibaldo]

Soemthing like that happend to two kids at my school. They were driving back from hockey practice or something. And the car hit a patch of ice on the road and the car went in to the ditch. Both kids were hospitalized. One of them died.
It's weird becuase you hear about it happening on the news in places far away from you but then when it happends right at your school or somewhere near you it's pretty shocking. Most adults don't understand that there is also wheather afiliated(sp?) with accidents.

[BLONDINE]

personally I think that the driving age is rediculous...we as kids really do need more time to become adjusted to the road before we are sent out into the real world...if nothing to make the amount of hours that we need to drive with and adult increased or something...personally I a mgoing in to get my permit in less than 2 weeks and I am scared shitless...all I have to do is answer 15 out of 18 questions on signs correst then I am on the road...I know that I am a decent driver (at least I hope) and for someone that by default was geussing on a test got answer correct and got their permit scares me like wow!...we do need harder test and better education in driving......

[Drunken Tiger]

We dont start driving by ourselves until we are 18 and thats with restrictions such as the power of your vehicle and BAC...

LEarners start driving at the age of 16...

I guess its alright.. But the age group of 18-25 yo do make up the majority of death fatalities in my state.. So i guess more could be done.. Really sad to see a 16 year old lose her life.. My condolences(sp) goes out to her.. But i guess teh answer isnt reallly to stop teenagers from driving.. I mean, its a given that we will eventually drive.. But maybe introduce it gradually, like longer times in supervised drives because those are meant to be the safest of all..

Just my two cents...

DT

[biggiy05]

The driving tests are so stupid at times. I mean yea I can understand how kids like it because its short and simple but thats the problem its short and simple! Manevurability(sp?) is the big killer on driving tests acorss the nation and I honestly think that it is a dumb thing to test a kid on. If you can't back up without hitting a car then you don't need to be on the road. They need to make the drives longer not just a left, right, left, right, left or right.

Sometimes it isn't the driver's fault it is the car that causes the wreck.

[Destiny]

I'm worried that when I get my liscense that No one will trust me. My parents wont let me get mine until a few months from now. They don't trust my temper. Well, in all honesty I don't either. And besides, I've been in the car with my older brother driving. He is mature and all, but drives like a maniac. I just don't want to turn out like him. I guess I'm more insecure about my driving abilities then my parents.

I also agree with biggiy05 that it isnt always the drivers fault. But then, isn't that kind of an oxymoron? Because hit and runs are the other drivers fault. So in essence it is a drivers fault. Only, some people point the blame at the innocent. Kind of like a double edged sword.

[Jarty]

It comes down to this: if you have a problem with the way something is carried out or such, do something about it. The next time you hear an adult complain that most fatal car crashes involve teen drivers, tell them that they should get involved somehow.

[Dracula]

I'm 17 now... I've had my permit since I was 15... I still don't have my license. In other words, I'm still adjusting to how driving works. Sometimes I feel rushed, but I guess I better thank God that I'm taking the time to adjust, rather than spilling my guts and brains on the highway. :shrug:

[The Desperado]

Biggiy05,
I didnt realize that you lived in the same area as me. I'm from utica and went to C-Tech. I didnt know the girl, but i had a girl die in my class in a car accident. I would hate to be in that school right now, cause it just tears everyone apart.

[Gerudo]

Des is right... one time when i was in 8th grade, someone i didnt know died in a car accident, and i didnt know.

i went to go to homeroom and was grabbed by the collar of my shirt, and when i looked inside the room after i was stopped, i just saw an assload of people crying, and was like 'wtf'... well, they announced it over the PA system... i was floored (even though i didnt know the person, you just get that sinking feeling in your gut)...

its truly sad when people are cut down before they get a chance to live...

[biggiy05]

Biggiy05,
I didnt realize that you lived in the same area as me. I'm from utica and went to C-Tech. I didnt know the girl, but i had a girl die in my class in a car accident. I would hate to be in that school right now, cause it just tears everyone apart.

C-Tech is in shambles right now, the cosmotology class is in really bad shape, a few of the girls that she was really close to have been depressed as hell and my friend drove by the scene of the crash yesterday and she is worse than ever so it is not a good place to be. As for northridge they are doing pretty well a few of the students went to class today but it is just a really gloomy place at the moment.

BTW what part of utica do you live in? My family has a farm/trail riding ranch on utica road.