<p>Tomorrow I attend the funeral of the son of a friend, an 18 yr old HS senior.<a href=“404 Not Found | 11alive.com”>404 Not Found | 11alive.com; Another senseless auto accident of a great, smart, friendly kid who made a bad decision (tried to pass a car) trying to get back from an internship program for an economics class. This is the second teen driving death in our area a week. A third student, a law school student, was hit by a car and died today. Four teens in a nearby county died in 2 separate accidents not too long ago. A local driving program offered a free weekend car control clinic to help the kids in that county HS. Our county has recently reinstated their drivers ed program (it had been a budget casualty), but it is unfortunately too little and too late for our friend’s son. So, as we focus on AP classes and SAT prep and a gazillion extracurriculars, please, keep proirities straight and hold your kid tight tonight. And if your school minimizes the importance of safe driving classes, please ask them to reconsider. For those of you who can easily afford it, have your child take a defensive driving class. Its fun, saves you money on your car insurance, and can help you sleep at night.</p>
<p>Jym…I am so so sorry for the loss of your friend’s young son and for the loss of all others in your community in the prime of their life and in such a tragic one moment in time way. So sad. It happens way too often. </p>
<p>I read of a girl in a town in this region, a senior, who was a sports star, who recently crashed her car and may never walk again (though is alive thankfully) and my heart ached. My own kid was in a very serious death defying crash and who knows why she got to survive it and others do not. I had read right after her crash of another girl in our region, same age, who didn’t survive her crash. Just one second can change everything with horrendous results. </p>
<p>By the way, in our state, driver’s ed is required to get their license at 16, plus 40 hours practice driving. Driver’s ed is offered at school or privately but one way or the other, you must get it to get a license. My kid had all that. Too much tragedy. Pretty heart-wrenching. Just in my D’s close circle of friends and roommates at college…she had her accident but survived, one roomie’s teen sister was killed by drunk driver, other roomie’s brother was in car accident (in our region) and while he survived, his best friend and his girlfriend, all teens, were killed, and another close pal at school is in a wheelchair for life, due to drunk driver hitting her as a child. This is just among a tight knit small grouping!</p>
<p>I am so sorry to hear of this loss. My deepest sympathies.</p>
<p>There isn’t much evidence that high school driver’s education has any correlation to reduced teen accident rates. What DOES seem to work is increasing the minimum driving age, setting and enforcing strict curfews, and the youth driving laws that restrict the number and type of passengers. That’s from lots of academic research. My own opinion is that driver’s ed the way it is taught now isn’t that useful. An intense program similar to that required in Germany might have a more significant impact, but I don’t think we as a country would be willing to pay what it really costs to reduce youth driving accidents through training.</p>
<p>jym–this is so sad, and something that effects each of us parents. My D elected to live in NYC in part to be able to use public transportation. Today a school mate drove my son from LI to Williamstown, and I was so relieved they got back safely.</p>
<p>soozie–thank goodness your daughter came through so well. We are all grateful, I’m sure.</p>
<p>WashDad – you’re probably right, but isn’t it chilling to realize this?</p>
<p>“An intense program similar to that required in Germany might have a more significant impact, but I don’t think we as a country would be willing to pay what it really costs to reduce youth driving accidents through training.”</p>
<p>And that’s a shame, isn’t it? When I was in high school, all the schools in our region had their own fleet of driver’s ed cars, a driving course with control tower on school premises, and a certified driver’s ed instructor, who took us all out in turns, on the road to practice after weeks in the classroom. Of course, it was also expected that one’s parents would take one out for additional road practice. I remember it being fun, and it was probably also fairly effective at the time. Now though, there is only a mandatory classroom driver’s ed course in our high schools. The actual driving practice portion is left entirely up to a kid’s parents. They may hire a professional driving school to do this for their child, but the school system no longer provides this as part of Driver’s Ed. I’m sure its cancellation had everything to do with the costs of maintaining a fleet of insured vehicles and a closed course on-premises, as well as liability insurance, should someone on the road be injured by a student driver. :(</p>
<p>Poetsheart…that is not how it is where I live. First of all, not only is Driver’s Ed required to get a license, the course includes six hours of drive time with the instructor (one of my kids did this at school and one outside of school). AS WELL, when you apply for the license after 12 months of the Learner’s Permit, you not only have to have had Driver’s Ed but you have to document 40 hours of drive time to be signed off by the parent or whomever supervised those hours and ten must be at night. Our kids had to keep a drive log and accumulate the 40 hours of which only 6 were with the Driver’s Ed teacher and so 34 had to be with us. This is a state rule, not our personal one.</p>
<p>soozie - our state is similar in that it has graduated license requirements that includes 50 hours of driving time with a parent. However, I hear more and more parents joking about how they cheated on the form and signed off on the hours, but didn’t really do that many. </p>
<p>jym - I’m so sorry for all these tragedies that seem to be piling up. It seems so senseless when we know the kids typically make wise choices. My 25-year old nephew was killed last May - fell asleep at the wheel, and wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Thankfully no other cars were involved. It’s difficult to fathom why people make choices that increase their risk of injury or death when something as simple as clicking a seatbelt can usually be a lifesaver. The excuses always seem to be (as with the young boy you knew)… I was in a hurry.</p>
<p>In Ontario, driver’s ed is not required, but the astronomical insurance rates (and delay in time between stages of graduated licensing, from the learners permit to the first license) mean that many take it anyways. Also, the road tests are significantly harder than in America. Supposedly, this has resulted in decreased death rates due to collisions for the demographics that have been affected. Also, the graduated license after the learners permit puts restrictions on passengers and driving at night for the first half year, which further decreases the accident rate.</p>
<p>Driver’s Ed is required in our state as well for teens to get a license, though not readily available through the public schools due to budget limitations; my kids both took online courses as well as the mandatory 6 hours behind the wheel instruction and 50+ hours practice time over a 6 month period.</p>
<p>I agree that Drivers ed is important, and I agree that this accident is sad and horrible, but if the press account is right, I don’t think Driver’s ed would have prevented it:
I would assume that Drivers ed or not, every state would require a kid to pass some sort of written rules of the road test in order to get a license, and that an honors high school student would know that speeding and passing illegally are inappropriate driving maneuvers. If he didn’t have driver’s ed, I’d assume with his reported love of math & science he would have at least taken physics.</p>
<p>I know drivers’ ed courses have a little more of an emphasis on safety, and I would feel differently if this was a case of simply a careless maneuver, such as an unsafe lane change on a freeway, or a kid who lost control of a vehicle by overcorrecting or failing to slow adequately for a curve. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to malign the dead; certainly this death his horrible and devastating to all around. But I don’t think it is necessarily helpful to whitewash the circumstances either – I know plenty of kids who have had driver’s ed classes who still drive recklessly, and kids without the emotional maturity to try to obey traffic laws really are not ready to have licenses at all. </p>
<p>Sorry – I just get very ticked off when I am driving along and encounter drivers like that, as well as terrified. Driver’s ed or not, the kid should have known better.</p>
<p>Thank you all (well, almost all) for your kind words. Yes, our state also requires a certain number of hourse of driver training and behind-the-wheel experience (daytime and nighttime) but I still think the general attitude towards mandatory driver training for licensure is not taken as seriously as it should. Obviously there is a reason for the high insurance rates for teens, especially boys. They are not as careful as they should be, and lack the experience to handle situations.</p>
<p>Thanks to most of you for you kind words and sensitivity. And to others, while I understand and support your right to state the “other side of the story”, for my personal, pained perspective of this particular situation, perhaps you could have waited until he was in the ground before maligning him and providing a physics lesson. Yes, I know I am particularly sensitive right now. We all know teenagers don’t always make the best decisions, don’t we. That isn’t the issue here. I do think a greater emphasis on safe driving, safe sex, alcohol and substance use and other issues teenagers face is always worth re-emphasizing. So is the appropriatenes of sensitivity at certain times.</p>
<p>jym626,
So sorry to hear about this close-to-home tragedy. I have twin sons who will begin to drive in January and I dread it, although they will take Driver’s Ed, I will spend many hours in the car with them and we have graduated licensing in our state. My H and I are always showing them articles about similar tragedies which happen locally, although I think that kids of this age just feel they are invincible and something like this only happens to “someone else, somewhere else.”</p>
<p>After suffering through 4 bad car wrecks with dead teenagers in the last couple of months (2 kids, 3 kids, 4 kids, 3 kids) this area has grown a little numb to the whole thing. The 4 kid accident was a bunch of HS cheerleaders from a suburban HS - that one is still in the news. The other 3 accidents were less affluent or rural or Hispanic kids, much less in the news about them but I still feel bad.</p>
<p>I wonder if there are any statistics that show that kids who take Driver’s Ed are less likely to be involved in a serious crash? </p>
<p>Maybe this whole problem just reflects kids getting wheels earlier and less parental oversight as to how much running around they do. It is so sad but it seems like something we just tolerate. 6,000 teens a year dead.</p>
<p>Dear Jym, I am so sorry to hear of your friend’s loss. Losing a child must be the most painful thing ever; I cannot even imagine the shock and devastation for them. Thank you for the reminder on ‘defensive driving’ courses.</p>
<p>My sympathies. A good friend of S1 died in an auto accident in March of their senior year. It was very tragic. Her parents put a “memory ad” in the newspaper every year on her birthday as a reminder to others of the loss and to be careful. </p>
<p>In our state Driver’s Ed is required and offered at public schools for free. It is followed by mandatory one year Learner’s Permit and then a graduated license. There are still many wrecks. I am constantly telling my two S’s to slow down.</p>
<p>S2 witnessed a friend wreck his truck last night while leaving a school event on a slightly rain slickened road. The kid spun around and hit the car in the other lane. My S quickly turned his truck around (4 wheel driving through a ditch) and went back to see if everyone was OK. They were. S2 was shocked that he was the only one to stop to see if they were OK (tons of kids exiting school just drove by).</p>
<p>Thanks again,folks, for you kindness and good taste. </p>
<p>Soozie, I remember all too well the saga of your daughter’s accident, and am glad she is doing well. </p>
<p>Teriwtt, so sorry for your loss as well. This just isn’t supposed to happen to us, or to people we know.</p>
<p>momof3sons, weenie, chocoholic, washdad, mythmom- thanks again for your sympathies. I will report back after the funeral. I expect it will be huge.</p>
<p>Packmom-
Glad your son is ok (and sorry for his friend’s loss). He sounds like a good kid who did the right thing last night.</p>
<p>It’s very sad. My d is a new driver, and it’s hard not to worry. There is a learning curve, even after you’ve been practicing for a six months. And we live in a congested part of the NE, where there’s just a lot of drivers on the road. </p>
<p>The son of a friend, who is a very careful, sensible and reliable kid, totaled the car shortly after getting his license. He was looking for a turn, and didn’t see the car in front of him stop quickly. </p>
<p>He and the other driver were both fine, but it was a very sobering experience for all of us. It could have been so different.</p>
<p>I think as parents there is one thing we can do. I live in a small town as many of you do. We know each other’s vehicles, and know when the kids get their license. </p>
<p>I have let a parent know (in a nice way) that I observed their child driving way too fast or in an unsafe manner. </p>
<p>In turn, one of my neighbors called me once about DS to let me know he w
as driving too fast in our neighborhood. I gave the kid a major talking to and there were consequences. </p>
<p>I was in a class at my gym a while back and one of the men mentioned he was looking for a jacked up truck for a teenager who had just gotten their license. I spoke up and said that I did not think any teenager should drive a jacked up truck. I have seen the way these kids drive those trucks. I said it in a light way and everybody laughed but I think I got my point across.</p>
<p>There’s a commercial that talks about 6,000 teenagers per year who don’t come back from a drive. Six thousand! If this were caused by a disease, what kind of uproar do you think there would be? Is there any other scenario in which this situation would be acceptable?</p>
<p>My heart bleeds for all of those who are gone, and for those of you who knew them. I’ve never understood those parents who wouldn’t spend the time in the car with their teen, and would lie on the licensing certificate. This is a lethal weapon you’re handing over! Most of my d’s friends were never on the highway with their parents; their first experience merging onto three or four lane roads were by themselves! And I too live in a congested area with all the crazy Boston drivers around.</p>
<p>I strongly recommend advanced driver training for all the new drivers around. The one that my d took is called In Control, and it demonstrated for the kids as they were sitting behind the wheel what happens when you tailgate; how long it takes to stop at 25, 35, 40, 60 miles per hour; how quickly the car in front of you can stop; how much harder it is to control a car in tight turns as the faster you go. These demos were much more effective than anything I could have said. For those of you in the Boston area, the website is <a href=“http://www.incontroladt.com%5B/url%5D”>www.incontroladt.com</a>.</p>
<p>If you google “Advanced Driver Training” you may find similar courses in your area. And it’s never too late - when my d took it, there were many parents and grandparents taking it too. I feel that it was the best money I ever spent.</p>
<p>jym, my condolences especially to you today.</p>
<p>My condolences as well to all. This has been a bad few weeks for traffic deaths and tragedies in the Northeast adn it is very saddening.</p>
<p>But I don’t think driver’s ed or even laws can be the sole issue. I live in a a state where you have to be 17 to get a license, and the year from 16 to 17 is supposed to be one of driving with an adult and getting usd to all sorts of traffic circumstances and laws. Getting the lcense at 17 is also predicated on taking in-school driver’s ed. the 17-year-old license is provisional for the first year–driver cannot have more than one passenger who does not live at same address, and cannot drive from (I think) midnight to 6 a.m.</p>
<p>In the last couple of weeks, however, there have been several devastating teen-driver accidets, and the 17-year-old drivers have had more than the allowed number of passengers. Further more, they have apparently/allegedly been speeding even if not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. so the problem goes deeper than formal driver’s ed–I think at least as much focus needs to be on parental control and some way of making it even clearer to the kids that these are weapons they are driving. </p>
<p>I’ve also read in this recent period about several fatalities that came about when kids were not wearing their seatbelts–including one of a middle schoolerwho was driving with his older brother when the brother lost control of their vehicle and both were thrown from it. That was a daytime accident that occurred under very “wholesome” circumstances, but that did not save the middle schooler’s life. Not wearing a seatbelt is absurd. I don’t know how the need to wear them could be any better publicized–I know a seatbelt probably doesn’t do you much if any good if your car is hit by a drunk driver or you hit a tree hard at high speed, but if you skid and roll over or something sijmilar where the car remains more or less intact, it really can be a life saver and perhaps quality-of-life saver as well. </p>
<p>It is so tragic and frustrating that the small, easy things drivers can do to protect themsevls and their passengers are not being done. Do not speed; do not drink and drive; wear your seatbelt; do not take more passengers than the law allows. As parents we need to remember these things and try to make sure our chidlren don’t just hear them but understand why they are hearing them</p>