Another Weekend - Another Story of Teens Dying Behind the Wheel

I am sick and tired of hearing the phrase “we’re doing it for the children.” What are you doing for the children except blowing hot air out of your behinds?

What are you doing for your children when two out of five deaths among U.S. teens are the result of a motor vehicle crash (CDC 2004)?

Did you all forget when you were young and carefree and what risks you took behind the wheels of daddy’s car? It seems like you forgot or that you don’t want to say NO to your son or daughter or maybe it’s because you’re too busy to drive them somewhere or maybe it’s simply because you want them out of your hair.

www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/19/2/

It all comes to light and close to home when over this weekend and it’s not over yet, we read of two horrific crashes involving GREEN drivers (16 – 17 year olds) resulting in disfigurement and two lost lives. As much as they think they’re sophisticated and so grownup, the age of 16 is not a right age for kids to be driving alone or with peers.

We have grownups that don’t take responsibility and make stupid decisions while behind the wheel, how can we expect a 16 or 17 year old to do any better. There’s always that call from the wild that we should increase the minimum driving age whenever a tragedy occurs but then the yelling dies down weeks later and we go back to where we were – waiting for another tragedy to occur.

Based on statistics, your son or daughter would fare better fighting in Iraq that driving that nice SUV that you’ve just put in his/her hands. 5,000 teens aged 16 – 19, died as a result of a motor vehicle accident in 2002.

In 2003, 54% of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday; 42% occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. (IIHS 2005

In 2003, 25% of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher (NHTSA 2004).
o In a national survey conducted in 2003, 30% of teens reported that within the previous month, they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. One in eight reported having driven after drinking alcohol within the same one-month period (CDC 2004b).
· In 2003, among teen drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving, 74% were unrestrained (NHTSA 2004b).

Did you forget that first ride you took either by yourself or with friends? The radio blaring the adrenaline pumping as you picked up speed in tune to your favorite song. Not a care in the world. The distractions nowadays are greater. Alcohol, drugs, cell phones, CD players, I pods, satellite radio add to the mix of inexperience behind the wheel and the final product is disfigurement if they’re lucky, if not death.

What are we really doing “for the children?”