[Grovenet] Driving Help Needed

Mon Jan 14 16:42:58 PST 2008

Sixteen year olds, have, in spite of their generally faster reflexes, better
eyesight, and generally excellent physical condition, have the worst driving
record of any age group! 

In 1998, 36 out every 100 16-year-old drivers were in accidents resulting in
damage, injuries or death! Now that number is apparently overstated because
of the number of unlicensed drivers who take to the road and crash, but
compare that other groups where that isn't reported to be such an issue. For
example 30 17-year-olds, 27, 18-year-olds, and  21 20-year-olds. 

To put those horrendous numbers in perspective, only 9 out of 100 drivers
between the ages of 45 and 54 years old had an accident. (1)

Yes, 9 out of 100 is far too many. So what does that make 21 to 30 out of
100? About three times too many, by my reckoning. 

Even an old timer 75 or older, perhaps deaf and fumbling for the bifocals he
dropped, has a better chance of not crashing or hurting someone than a 16
year old. Their record is 7 accidents per 100 drivers compared to 36
accidents per 100 for sixteen year olds. 

(I wonder why we hear a hue and cry any time a geriatric driver has a heart
attack behind the wheel but never hear a proportional cry to take teenage
drivers off of the highways every time they crash?)

What I said about learning and following protocols stands. It's important
for all ages.

I'm glad to hear your son's no longer "arguing" with you. 

Ron D'Eau Claire 

(1) http://allcountries.org/uscensus/1045_age_of_driver_and_number_in.html

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Allen Warren
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 3:40 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Driving Help Needed

Ron,

Please re-read my previous, lengthy reply, where I wrote we were indeed
extremely fortunate no one got hurt or killed last evening, and where I also
wrote we immediately took his drivers license.

I well understand the importance of rules and am trying to get this message
across to all my children, just as my parents also attempted to do with me,
as their parents did with them, on and on going back in history.

Big difference here is there was no malice or outright attempt to break the
law.  Does it make it right?  Of course not.  But he did take into account
all conditions and thought, even though his thinking was wrong, that it
would be safe to turn off the engine while waiting at the light.  And he has
now admitted he was wrong, understands why he was wrong, and understands the
potential danger he placed himself and others in.

He's young and learning.  What REALLY scares me are the folks as old as you
and I who know the law yet knowingly violate the law . . . like the guy (or
gal) who's had too much to drink but believes he can make it home because
"it's only a couple of miles home.  what could possibly happen?"  Or the
driver who, in a hurry, thinks it's okay to drive at the posted speed limit
of 45 mph through freezing rain even though they don't have snow tires or
studded tires of traction tires, thinking, "it's only a few miles home.  I'm
sure I'll make it.  And after all, I'm only going to speed limit".  Or the
driver who tries to help out by agreeing to take 2 extra children in their
car when they know they only have seatbelts to accomodate 1 extra child,
because "it's only a couple of miles.  what could possibly happen?"  Or the
business person in rush hour traffic on Highway 26 who's attempting to write
an email on their Blackberry while driving in the high-speed lane.
  These people KNOW what they're doing or are about to do is unsafe yet they
still do it.

Allen Warren

----- Original Message ----
From: Ron D'Eau Claire <ron at cobi.biz>
To: Forest Grove local interests list <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 3:03:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Driving Help Needed

Allen wrote:

"...This particular child of ours doesn't argue or defy us as a rebellious
act.  His arguing is all about expressing his thoughts and opinions while
trying to find the truth. Like many teenagers, he thinks he's much, much
older and wiser than 16.."

------------------------------------

A terrible mistake made by many adults and teens alike is to think it's not
terribly important to follow rules just because someone "said so", but that
is exactly what competent adults in the most important jobs do every day.
It's how a nuclear physicist, a medical doctor or any competent professional
has to learn how to behave. The more life is at risk, the more careful they
have to follow protocol: do things according to established procedures "just
because it's the way it's done!" 

Changes are made, but changes have to be approached very carefully and only
with a thorough analysis.

Very few things in the lives of most of us are more life-threatening than
the simple act of getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. That's why
stop signs are "STOP!" signs, even though the driver may be convinced at the
moment it's okay to drift on through, or a 35 MPH sign means "NO MORE THAN
35 MPH AND OFTEN SLOWER!!" even though the driver may be convinced that's
not important right now. They may be right that the signs and rules are
unimportant at that time and in that place, or they may be wrong. When
they're wrong, there's loss, injury, and sometimes death.

It's also important to understand that the rules don't remove the chance for
loss, injury or death. They simply reduce those chances, whether it's
someone driving a car or a surgeon cutting a patient.

The difference between automobile drivers and aircraft pilots, surgeons,
nuclear engineers and the like is that we don't demand drivers show the
emotional ability to follow the rules - the essential driving protocols - at
all times, and we seldom take them off of the road when they don't, even if
they maim someone, although we often think a surgeon should never operate
again if he makes a mistake or an airline pilot should not be allowed to fly
again just because he did it once while drunk.

What your son did was to make an ad-hoc decision to try something different
with a suitable peer review. That's not permitted in any serious endeavor.

Ron D'Eau Claire 

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