Mixed feelings.

[markw]

Any death is cause for sorrow, but in a case like this I have to blame it on her own stupidity and chalk one up for Darwin. It's her four passengers and all the families that I feel sorry for.

I mean, she was 17 years old, not a child.

Considering the various contributing factors (all avoidable) don't you really think she should have known better?

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation_world/20070714_ap_textmessagescitedinfatalnycrash.html

I mean, is there something in the water or something that's removing the common sense gene from the upcoming generation?

We've had a string of stupid, avoidable new driver deaths lately that far, far surpasses anything I can recall, ever.

 

[Adam]

Mark, I am unable to follow that link. It goes to philly.com but just says "Page Not Found." Could be just me, but would you please recheck the link? Thanks.

 

[markw]

Sorry. Give it another try.

Mark, I am unable to follow that link. It goes to philly.com but just says "Page Not Found." Could be just me, but would you please recheck the link? Thanks.

I just reposted the link, tried it and it worked for me.

 

[Alex2507]

I know we're all gonna die anyway but I don't want to die at the hands of somebody who thinks reading the newspaper or texting at 70 mph is more important than human life. Namely mine.

 

[Davemcc]

I'm somewhat relieved that I managed to raise my kids to adulthood, but I still worry because I remember how stupid I was at 21 when I knew everything

 

[Buckle-meister]

...I remember how stupid I was at 21 when I knew everything

Ya, you only know everything once you hit 32.

 

[davidtwotrees]

.......I mean, is there something in the water or something that's removing the common sense gene from the upcoming generation?.....We've had a string of stupid, avoidable new driver deaths lately that far, far surpasses anything I can recall, ever.

Teenagers have been crashing their cars since the auto was first invented.
The difference is we didn't have the internet and cable news to broadcast every accident as it happened back in 1950. Also, our population has doubled since then, increasing the amount of young drivers on the road.

 

[markw]

Yes and no

Teenagers have been crashing their cars since the auto was first invented.
The difference is we didn't have the internet and cable news to broadcast every accident as it happened back in 1950. Also, our population has doubled since then, increasing the amount of young drivers on the road.

I'm 58 years old and, just in my area alone, within the past few years there have seem more senseless teenage deaths in cars related to things that any person who drives should be aware of than I did in the first 50 or so years of my life.

No, there's some incredibly stupid kids behind the wheel today.

Much more stupid than when I was younger. Common sense is lacking.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

I see a lot of stupid teens behind the wheel here in NH too. I think I raising the driving age to 18 before they can even get behind the wheel might be a good start. Either that or the driving tests and things they have to do before they can get a license need to be much more strict. We have a 17 year old and he has his license but he is not mature enough for me to hand him the keys.

 

[davidtwotrees]

"Whether as drivers or passengers, teens are at a statistically higher risk of injury and fatality when riding in an automobile. The good news is that teen fatalities have dropped in the last three decades – in the mid-70s, nearly 10,000 teenagers died every year in automobile crashes. In 2003, that statistic fell nearly 50 percent to 5,240 deaths." <---source

I'm sure much of these numbers are due to the fact that cars are safer today, but still, the numbers say that fatal accidents involving teens is much lower than back in the "good old days".

 

[markw]

Well, say what you will

...but you can't frive more than a few minutes without comng across another make shift shrine that signifies at least one more teem death.

No, they're driving more stupid. Simple as that.

 

[avaserfi]

...but you can't frive more than a few minutes without comng across another make shift shrine that signifies at least one more teem death.

No, they're driving more stupid. Simple as that.

As someone who recently (4ish years ago) grew out of the stupid driving stage it really is just that. When I was 16 I may have had the ability to be a good driver, but I was irresponsible and honestly not ready to have my license like many of my friends at the time. We did many stupid things and fortunately we were never hurt but many people from my school did manage to hurt or kill themselves in cars.

On thing that does have to change are traffic violation laws. They should be made to be a bigger deal rather than a 50 dollar fine. I remember when I got a ticket and went to pay it at the court house I ran into 10 people from my school. Granted the school was nearly 3000 people all of which could drive but that is still pretty ridiculous and shows how no one cared about the inexpensive fine.

Another interesting experience I had was at my driving school. I had one instructor actually pass a girl on her drivers test because he was so scared of dieing if he failed her and he had to test her again. She was that bad a driver and he passed her out of fear...I don't know how common that is but it is a little disconcerting.

As I grew older I came to the realization that cars aren't big toys that you can play with anywhere. If you want to race/be stupid in a car save it for the track. It may have taken me a while to do so and I have a feeling every year a new group of people learns this as another gets their new toy...

 

[race4aliving]

That's MORE then 5000 teenagers a year that die in automobile accidents and another 300,000 were seriously injured each year. if we lost 5000 teenagers a year to almost anything else there would be and should be a national outcry.

Since the start of the war in Iraq in March of 2003 less then 3000 American troops have been killed in combat and war-related incidents, very sad numbers for sure but, during that same 51 month period almost 25,000 teenagers between the age of 15 to 19 died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads. At least those of us with kids should be jumping up and down and screaming about this. most states don't even teach drivers education anymore. the drop in in deaths is not because of better drivers but of much safer cars.

Why the media just seems to ignore the preventable death of over 5000 kids a year is mind boggling and we as parents seem to just keep putting our head in the sand about this. we are more concerned about petty political differances then the preventable death of thousands of children.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

Since the start of the war in Iraq in March of 2003 less then 3000 American troops have been killed in combat and war-related incidents, very sad numbers for sure but, during that same 51 month period almost 25,000 teenagers between the age of 15 to 19 died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads.

Maybe we should send these kids to a real 8 week military boot camp the summer they turn 16. They would lose weight, learn respect, and I'm sure they could learn drivers ed.

I was an M1 Abrams Tanker in the U.S. Army, and when you drive a 65 ton tank, you have to pay attention on the highway because they are so wide, fast, and HEAVY! On Germany's country roads, when a column of Tank's came through, civilians in Mercedes, Audi's, and BMW's would pull over into the ditch.

But, I was a Type A male, yuong, dumb and full of c#%. I'm a hopeless adrenaline junkie. I used to sky dive, barefoot water ski, and race rice rockets, or sport bikes. I finally almost did myself in on my Ninja, I hit a telephone pole head on at 50 mph. I broke my neck and severed my spinal cord at the C 3-4 level 19 years ago, and I've been in a wheelchair ever since. I'm typing this with my mouth, and listening to Nine Inch Nails (more adrenaline music).

Anyways, since I'm starting to ramble, I'll shut up.

 

[Adam]

Personally, I'd just like to pay my respects to those who died and share my condolences with the friends of families that lost their loved ones.

People can speculate forever on what caused the crash, but because all passengers in the vehicle died, no one will truly know. Perhaps it was due to reckless behavior, perhaps she was trying to avoid hitting something on the road, or perhaps a sudden medical condition occurred. I'm not going to judge her.

 

[furrycute]

I broke my neck and severed my spinal cord at the C 3-4 level 19 years ago, and I've been in a wheelchair ever since. I'm typing this with my mouth, and listening to Nine Inch Nails (more adrenaline music).

Anyways, since I'm starting to ramble, I'll shut up.

Is this for real? 19 years confined to a wheelchair, I can't even begin to imagine what life must have been like for you.

You have my deepest sympathies.



Cell phone use/text messaging while driving should be outlawed, unless it's an emergency.

 

[no. 5]

...but you can't frive more than a few minutes without comng across another make shift shrine that signifies at least one more teem death.

No, they're driving more stupid. Simple as that.

Yep, but the more frightening thing is that the stupidity does not appear when they turn the ignition key and then disappear when they step out of the car.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

Is this for real? 19 years confined to a wheelchair, I can't even begin to imagine what life must have been like for you.

You have my deepest sympathies.

It happened when I was 23. I hated life for 10 years or more, but I'm totally cool with my life at 42. Great Family and Friends help A BUNCH.

I have a nice house, with all the toys one could want. I can't drive my wheelchair van, so I spend a lot of time at home, on the internet while listening to my stereo. I'm also a licensed Ham Radio operator so I stay busy

 

[furrycute]

C3-C4, just vertebral space above, you would have needed to be placed on a ventilator. Man, that was a close.

I am glad you are getting on with your life, and doing the things you enjoy doing.

 

[markw]

Sorry for ya, Ric.

It happened when I was 23. I hated life for 10 years or more, but I'm totally cool with my life at 42. Great Family and Friends help A BUNCH.

I have a nice house, with all the toys one could want. I can't drive my wheelchair van, so I spend a lot of time at home, on the internet while listening to my stereo. I'm also a licensed Ham Radio operator so I stay busy

I can't even imagine what your life is like.

I'm glad, though, that you have helpful family and friends and find some companionship and comfort via the net.

Welcome to the site, dude.