Teens and Driving

Has anyone noticed the number of teens and young adults that have died in the last few weeks? It seems like every time I turn on the news another set of teens and/or young adults has been killed in a driving related accident.

Many, if not all, could be avoided if parents would just step up and lay down the rules and responsibilities of being a licensed driver. Many youth feel it's a right to drive. It's not - It is a PRIVILEGE. It is a privilege that you must earn.

Too many parents buy their children cars, hand them the keys the day they get their license (often with the ink still wet) and tell them "Go have a good time"!

Next thing you know, these teens go pick up a bunch of their friends (as many as they vehicle will hold comfortably. Sometimes a few more), turn up the tunes, begin texting each other and other friends, maybe get their hands on alcohol and you now have a disaster waiting to happen.

Then you awake in the morning, turn on your TV or radio only to hear, "This morning, three teens were killed in a car accident when the car they were in hit a pole and was split in two", or "A group of teens were killed when their vehicle went out of control, flipped over an embankment and landed in a ditch off Highway___".

When will they learn? When will the parents of these victims learn? When will law enforcement learn?

TEENS/YOUNG ADULTS: You need to learn that a car is NOT a toy. It is not made for you to drive as fast as you want when you still haven't learned how to handle day-to-day driving conditions, never mind the unexpected results of drinking, driving and otherwise irresponsibility behind the wheel of a two-ton machine.

When you are behind the wheel of this vehicle, it is YOUR responsibility to be sure that your vehicle does not cause harm to others on the road with you, and none to yourself and passengers as well.

ADULTS/PARENTS: It is YOUR responsibility that your child understands the car you give them is not meant to be raced at ridiculously high rates of speed, while intoxicated or not. It is not meant for them to drive more people in the vehicle that it is designed to hold. It is not for them to do their makeup (this they get from you Mom), shave (Dad, this is you), text and talk, or any other behavior that will endanger themselves and others.

You brought them into this world. With that decision, you took on the awesome responsibility of rearing them with love and proper discipline.

You had to do certain things to earn your way behind the wheel of a car...they should too!

LAW ENFORCEMENT: There was a time when a teen had to reach the age of maturity (often age 18 or 21) before they were allowed to be alone (without the instruction and/or supervision) of a licensed adult over age 21 years of age. This needs to be reinforced. Youth today have too much freedom and not enough responsibility, and hence, they have no consequences to suffer because "mommy and/or daddy" will bail them out.

I am tired of seeing mangled cars that once held the promises of a great and awesome future, and hearing how more of them are to be buried with dreams never to be fulfilled. It's time out for standing on the sidelines. If someone doesn't do something soon, we won't have a future because we allowed them to kill themselves and others just so we could "have the house to ourselves while they're out with friends, doing God knows what!"

Anybody out there with me on this?