3 Teens Killed in Speeding Challenger

-
abodyjoe said:
No driving between 12:01 a.m. and 5 a.m. Though there are GDL exemptions for exceptions due to employment or religious reasons.
Passengers must be from your household. Only one additional person from outside your household is allowed in the vehicle
You cannot use cell phones, hand held video games or any other hand held electronic device
Seat belts must be worn at all times
Click to expand...


You'll get no arguement from me.....but you know who always argues things like this? Surprisingly almost always the conservative right. They argue that gubmint shouldn't tell them to wear seat belts and such. I've never looked at that as gubmint intrusion, just common sense.
 
Saying it is somehow the car that is at fault IS a goofy thing to say. And as far as seat belts and helmets, we SHOULDNT have to be told to do it as it IS common sense, but it isnt gubments place to tell us to have common sense. Period. I dont need you to tell me what is "safe" for me, thanks. I am a big boy and can make my own decisions. By the same token, I will take my lumps for my decisions, as it should be.

The liberals want everyone to have healthcare and unfortunately that means the people who decide to not wear helmuts/belts and need lifesaving medical car and yet have no health care coverage thru their own lack of planning.

If we are gonan have gubment enforcing common sense, why stop at seat belts, helmets and fast cars for stupid kids?

Some people should wear rubbers 24/7 and NEVER have kids but they do anyways....and we all know smoking KILLS people every year.....should gubment be involved in those situations too and make laws to prevent the stupid from procreating and people from sucking filth into their lungs by the pack????

Lets not make this a political discussion for cripes sakes.

Kids driving fast cars and doing stupid things has been a problem for DECADES...as long as there has been cars. Same as the drunks out there of all ages who insist that "I am OK to drive."

Trucks can get kids into just as much trouble.....the old "I have a big honkin' 4x4 and am invincible" scenario. They are top heavy and dont corner as well as sedans/cars. Speed in an SUV or truck and it can roll over FAST.

I know kids who have fast cars and are very responsible. I know kids who do and aren't too.

I also know grown "adults" who have no business behind the wheel of ANYTHING with more than 80 hp, yet they have the money to buy whatever they want so they do.

My oldest kid was riding an ATV at age 8. My youngest one is now 9 1/2 and is just getting to the point where he is "ready: in my eyes.

Just like anything else, some people just are not ready at a young age for certain activities. Sometimes, even as they become adults, they are not ready.

Parents need to gauge the maturity of the kid before getting him/her any vehicle.

And even when they do, kids make mistakes.

Kids are like people that way.

The best vehicle for kids IMHO? Mid/late 70's 4 door cars. Big, heavy, lots of "buffer" for accidents and typically poor performance.

Cars like the 74 Chevy Nova 4 door with a straight 6. Great solid car to drive, average performance and lots of "buffer". Typical 10-12 mpg so the kid cant afford to go too fast or too far. LOL
 
So then if you lose control as a direct result of you not wearing a seatbelt and KILL someone ELSE, you are fine with calling that "taking your lumps". Nice.
 
Similar thing happened to my daughter Homecloned. Had been driving 1 1/2 years, no tickets and no accidents, then rammed my truck from behind trying to get her car parked in the driveway before the 11:00 PM curfew we had for her.
 
abodyjoe said:
speeding is speeding. a 4 cyl. pt cruiser is capable of speeding and having the same results.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. You don't need a V8 to prove your inexperience or your stupidity. In the wrongs hands, and especially on public roads, 4 cylinder cars are as deadly as 8 cylinder cars.
 
I would like to tell how Drivers Education works here in NC since I have had 3 to go through it. It is a poorly taught class that were a school may have 1-3 cars that cab hole 3-5 students each. The instructors are all part time and really not trained properly themselves.

With that being said the biggest problem is in teaching for more than 1 month giving a certificate passing them. All 3 of my sons were lucky to get 5-10 minutes of driving time behind the wheel every couple of days. Again the problem too many students and not enough instructors.

So when my sons permits were issued they got a lot of time behind the wheel with myself and their mother. Before they could get their license, The oldest one does not have his and is 24 he hates to drive, The middle son is 23 and didn't get his until he came home from Basic training in the Army,the Youngest one will be 22 soon and didn't get his until he was 19.

We need better instructors and better training aids in classes than what er do a couple hours after school does not cut it. We also need Drivers Education that is as strict in other countries such as Germany where there is a lot you have to go through before you can pass.

http://www.drivers.com/article/380/
 
Right on Cliff. Same with driver's tests. My sister drives with two feet. She took her drivers test like that years ago. She shouldda failed. her younger daughter drives the same way. She shouldda failed her test as well. Driving with two feet is slam dangerous. Just like all these people who don't know to yield to the person on the right. I don't know how the hell so many people pass.
 
StrokerScamp said:
Right on Cliff. Same with driver's tests. My sister drives with two feet. She took her drivers test like that years ago. She shouldda failed. her younger daughter drives the same way. She shouldda failed her test as well. Driving with two feet is slam dangerous. Just like all these people who don't know to yield to the person on the right. I don't know how the hell so many people pass.
Click to expand...

It's really bad here and then you throw in cell phones here makes it worse. Last Friday I was almost run off the Hwy because a young mother was to busy to yield coming on the HWY she was looking straight ahead talking on her phone. No laws here to talk on your phone while driving but don't get caught texting How stupid is that? Hands free or not at all. Her Lawyer would have been raped royally along with her and her insurance company if my Cordoba been hit.
 
I say the parents are to blame. No 16 yo is responsible enough to handle a V8 challenger( guessing by the dual exhaust). My daughter cut her teeth on a 83 /6 D-150 in 1999. I told her learn how to drive this truck and you can drive anything. For her 21st birthday I bought her a new 2002 Mustang, V6 or course! She is 30 yo as of yesterday and has never had a wreck, not even a ticket! Knock on Wood. I wasn't born 56 yo. I know what I would have done with a 2001 Challenger @16!
 
Its the driver not the car. I raised my Son from a little boy out in the desert going over 120MPH++ in my Sand Car. He knows how to drive and could handle a car like that on the street no problem at 14 Years old. Depends on how much experience someone has behind the wheel. If someone was brought up to respect what a vehicle can and can not do along with how to handle a car and what you "the driver' are capable of then I see no issue with it.
 
The parents are to blame for buying the car yes. But not how he drives it that was on the 16 yr old. Like I said drivers ed and parents not doing the extra work is a deadly combo.
 
sorry to say.. but i think it's their own fault.. The gas pedal only goes as far as they push it down, I'm 16, and where I live you have to have a learners liscense for a year (Driving with atleast 1 parent which is 25+) then an Novice liscense for 2 years!!! ( only driving with one "friend" and theres much more restrictions to that... I'm 16 and I've got a 74 roadrunner, It's not the fastest thing out there, but it is fast enough for me to know that it can easily kill me, Although I respect it and dont drive it like a maniac. (most of the time :p)
 
Mad Dart said:
Its the driver not the car. I raised my Son from a little boy out in the desert going over 120MPH++ in my Sand Car. He knows how to drive and could handle a car like that on the street no problem at 14 Years old. Depends on how much experience someone has behind the wheel. If someone was brought up to respect what a vehicle can and can not do along with how to handle a car and what you "the driver' are capable of then I see no issue with it.
Click to expand...

..and that's great. Proper driver training is very important. BUT, I surely hope you instilled in him the LAW. That it is illegal to drive like that on public streets and highways, whether he can "handle" it or NOT. We all have taken chances and done stupid stuff.... But knowing the difference in right and wrong is what is important.
 
Mad Dart said:
Its the driver not the car. I raised my Son from a little boy out in the desert going over 120MPH++ in my Sand Car. He knows how to drive and could handle a car like that on the street no problem at 14 Years old. Depends on how much experience someone has behind the wheel. If someone was brought up to respect what a vehicle can and can not do along with how to handle a car and what you "the driver' are capable of then I see no issue with it.
Click to expand...

I do agree with your thinking. Problem is most kids won't have the ability to get this sort of training before they are turned loose on the roads. If the same wreck was caused by a drunk driver this conversation would have a different tone. As a fireman of 28 years, I've seen the results of young age, to much power,and to little training. I went to a MVA involving a new 300Z and a semi on New Years Eve. Grand paw bought his 16 yo grand son a brand new 300Z for Christmas. He rear ended a semi @140 estimated MPH. He Never lived to see the new year. Sure I agree with some of you A PT can go 100MPH, But i don't think it would be as impressive as Hemi challenger. When I drove a 69 VW I never told my buds, " Hey watch me get this baby to 80 MPH!" When I had my 66 Hemi Satelite? Now that is a different story! Bottom line is, It is a sad tragic event. I wouldn't want to think that maybe I made a mistake by giving my 16 yo a new Challenger. But hey this is just my 2 cents.
 
In my mind it all comes down to maturity / responsibility. Certainly in this case the driver wasn't mature enough, responsible enough and likely experienced enough to be on the road in any car but I'm sure a small hemi or whatever didn't help.

I have my own 17 year old story, my 70 dart swinger was 18 inches wide after I got done and 2 of us were in the hospital for weeks. Luck no one was killed! I can look back and say now I should not have been on the road for all the reasons stated above.
 
So with a little experience in this area (5 Kids, 4 boys and 1 girl), I have have pretty good luck with them. In Texas we can "Parent Teach" our kids how to drive. I am far harder than any of the driver's ed programs out there because I require a passing grade of 100 on every test and assignment.

I also teach a off the record class where I take them out and have them try to drive the car the way we all know they will when we are not with them. I teach them how to put the car in a slide and how to pull it out of one. How to panic brake in a car with and without anti-lock brakes. I teach them how to learn their car's limits so they know what it can and can't do. I teach this in both dry and inclement conditions. In short, I make sure they are not seeing emergency driving conditions alone the first time.

I also have a rule about their first cars... Low Horsepower and max speed of about 70 or 80. I am not a fan of pickups as only the latest models have good safety features in them and most have more power than I want them to experience. I have seen too many kids lose their lives in pickups. Anybody can get in trouble in any car but a low horsepower car with a low center of gravity lowers the chances they will get in trouble.

Seat belts are a mandatory accessory as well. I have one of my kids here with me still because he remembered to put on his seat belt while riding in the back seat with a friend. Less than a minute after he put it on, the driver lost control on a country road and rolled the car at about 50 miles per hour. Two kids were ejected from the car due to not have on their seat belts and were severely injured. Seat belts save lives. They may cause injuries in some cases but they save more than they harm.

I also tell them that if they want a high horsepower vehicle, they need to buy it and build it. I also tell them not to confuse their daily driver with their hot rod. It should not be the same car. If they can't afford to buy a second car, they don't need to be racing...
 
abodyjoe said:
problem is the article doesn't say what really happened.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! The only people who (maybe) know what really happened were in that car. There coulda been an obstacle in the road or blown out tire, anything could have made them leave the road. It's very easy to blame speed when you weren't there and don't know what really happened. Looking back, I know there were countless times I was driving at high enough speeds where a mechanical failure, blowout, obstacle in the road, etc. would have resulted in major injury if not loss of my life. I think most of us can say the same thing. As Joe said, they could have been in any other car and had the same unfortunate result.

That being said, I agree that a 16 year old should not be learning to drive in a car like that unless it is in a controlled enviroment. The requirements to get a license are a joke. They amount to performing a couple of basic maneuvers at low speeds and a written test. Nobody teaches kids how drive. When I say drive, I mean how to control a car, not "press this pedal to go, press this pedal to stop, and oh, the big round thing in front of you makes the car go left & right."

Condolences and prayers to the families.
 
Good Lord,I pray for the souls of these poor children. Please take care of them...
 
do they still show those movies in drivers ed like "The streets run red?" you know the old state police videos of crash footage..peoples brains hanging out and stuff.

if parents would stop with this nanny state stuff, ex: let the kids jump off of trampolenes into blow up pools and hurt themselves then they would know what pain feels like and learn from it...then they might say..."If i do this then i might get hurt! i dont want another broken arm..." they may also learn to be safer in other areas of their life...instead of saying.."ehn...i wont get hurt, i'll do what i want..."

children need tools to learn not someone to tell them they cant do this or that.... because they will defy you every step..i know i did when i was a teen.
 
StrokerScamp said:
..and that's great. Proper driver training is very important. BUT, I surely hope you instilled in him the LAW. That it is illegal to drive like that on public streets and highways, whether he can "handle" it or NOT. We all have taken chances and done stupid stuff.... But knowing the difference in right and wrong is what is important.
Click to expand...

Yes he obey's the law to a certain extent just like the rest of us. We all make mistakes and unfortunately sometimes we pay with our lives and the lives around us. Sad to say, this happens everyday

FWIW, he is on the Honor Roll at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music 2 Years in a Row and takes 21 Units per semester and tested out of a bunch of classes the first semester there. He has enough credits to graduate after next year first semester. He is a good kid that is going to be 20 Years old next month. I am not saying he is an Angel in anyway shape or Form, although I can count on 1 hand how many times I had to discipline him Physically.

5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40 and so on.......... haaaa
 
Gnome said:
do they still show those movies in drivers ed like "The streets run red?" you know the old state police videos of crash footage..peoples brains hanging out and stuff.

if parents would stop with this nanny state stuff, ex: let the kids jump off of trampolenes into blow up pools and hurt themselves then they would know what pain feels like and learn from it...then they might say..."If i do this then i might get hurt! i dont want another broken arm..." they may also learn to be safer in other areas of their life...instead of saying.."ehn...i wont get hurt, i'll do what i want..."

children need tools to learn not someone to tell them they cant do this or that.... because they will defy you every step..i know i did when i was a teen.
Click to expand...

No not here no videos of any kind. Just teach them how to pass the test and road test that is it.
 
Its not akin to blaming a gun for a shooting. Its akin to blaming the judgement of a parent who gives his kid free reign of the gun cabinet and somebody gets shot.

Some parent is living vicariously through his kid. Buying a brand new V8 car for a teenager is just plain stupid. Especially considering these new cars are way way faster than anything around when us 40 somethings (and older) were kids.

I'd wager that if you looked at teen fatalities in cars where the teen is at fault, horsepower plays a part in an outsized number of cases. I'd also bet in cases where a loss of control is involved, rear wheel drive is often a culprit.

Nobody tries to race the kid stuck driving an econobox, and the kid has no illusions about it being fast. Even if they do race, how fast can the thing really go in a stoplight race in town?

A couple of years after I was in high school, the local bigwig developer bought his kid a brand new 'vette! That kid died a couple weeks later, right in front of the school no less.
 
LXguy said:
I'd wager that if you looked at teen fatalities in cars where the teen is at fault, horsepower plays a part in an outsized number of cases. I'd also bet in cases where a loss of control is involved, rear wheel drive is often a culprit.
Click to expand...

when i moved to fairfax county va there was at least one report a week about kids in ricers street racing and one or to cars with kids getting seriously injured or killed and that was in the late 90s. a car is a car... i got more speeding tickets in my 95 geo metro 1.0l then i did in my 74 nova with a built 350. or my 69 ford f250 with a 390.. that was a fast truck and my first vehicle.
 
Here is a story from a couple years back. This happend a couple miles from my house. 3 teens racing to make cerfew in his dads Lexus. They clip a car making a right turn and his parents wanted to blame the driver making the turn because he aparently failed to signal. Talk about taking no responsability for your childs actions. The Lexus sailed into a tree and burst into flames. This was Easter weekend.
I am glad this thread is bringing this to light and we are reading different opinions on the subject. I agree it is a tragic thing and the families will need the find a way to heal which is never easy.
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/Four_teenagers_killed_Seminole_crash_041109
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top