April 11, 2005
Sixteen and Behind the Wheel
(Filed under: When I Was Your Age...)
When I was your age I had a tenuous relationship with cars. I slid my '88 Mustang off the road more times than I care to remember. I tore reverse out of my dad’s brand new truck. I rear-ended a car in the school parking lot, causing $500 worth of damage.
The police pulled me over for going 59 mph in a 40 mph zone and threatened me with reckless driving. My excuse? Late for a final. Another time I stopped at a red light, looked both ways, and kept going, causing an officer to ask if I'd taken any drugs or alcohol. No sir, I'm just stupid.
Once I shouted over the noise to my friend: "Does the muffler sound loud to you?" Before he could answer there was a crash and the sound of a muffler dragging along the road.
I grew up in the suburbs where public transportation was a joke and walking was only a form of exercise. Which made a driver's license a necessary right of passage. But it didn't come easy. Driving a car in my house meant responsibility. We made all repairs ourselves, which meant goodbye Saturday. And don't forget insurance. Every six months I had to pony up insurance money for my dad. Is it any wonder I took the bus to work for three years and now work at home?
The automobile brings freedom to the American teenager. It can also bring stupidity. Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens. Driving with a friend doubles your risk of getting in a wreck, and talking on that cell phone slows your reaction time to that of a 70-year-old. Don't check your brains at the car door: Wear your seatbelt. Drive the speed limit (I'm still learning that one). Look both ways. Red means stop. Showing off puts your stupidity on display. And donuts? Stick to eating them. (ABC News, Feb. 13, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at April 11, 2005 08:17 PM
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» Sixteen and Behind the Wheel from Personal Injury Resources
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Comments
I remember being 16. I was immortal then, at least I drove like it. For me, it was a '68 mustang 289 with a four-speed. I drove way too fast and stupid. There's a good reason why insurance companies don't consider you an adult until you're 25...
When driving, speed kills, stupidity kills, and getting angry at other drivers kills. I've slowed down (rolling one car and sliding another off the road has a tendency to do that), don't think I'm as stupid anymore (I hope others agree), but dealing with the idiots (they drive slower than me) and jerks (they drive faster than me) on the road still takes effort.
Posted by: blogan at April 15, 2005 09:54 PM