After seeing a few more teenager wrecking cars posts here lately, I got to thinking about how things have changed (and not changed) since I was in high school.

I graduated in 1986. My first car in high school was a lowered, black, 4 speed 1968 Camaro Super Sport with a VERY built 350. Got it when I was 16. It was the fastest car in school for all intensive purposes, save one other Camaro and one dude's barely streetable '66 Mustang GT350. My car weighed probably 2900lbs. and had something like 250 SAE net hp at the crank (an estimation), so it was fast. It also understeered like a pig and had 4 wheel all DRUM brakes. Talk about brake fade.......

Luckily for me my dad was an ex-hillclimber and taught me racing technique since I started with my learner's permit. Trail braking, hitting the apex, looking ahead a few corners, heel-toeing, it was all part of my learning curve. Subesequently, I drove very hard in the 2 years I owned it but never wrecked it. Only spun it once at low speed on a deserted road with clear sightlines (read, I knew no cars were coming and really tried to hang it out on that particular turn).

Some of my aquaintences in high school were not so lucky.......

One guy soared his Mustang 5.0 off a cliff into a grove of trees (survive). A guy in my class barrell rolled his new Celica on a back road behind my house. Another buddy on my block piled his VW rabbit into a curb on the exact same turn (a wicked off camber downhiller. Swerved to "miss a deer"). Still another pinballed his brand new Starion Turbo around through some trees. Another friend drilled his Dodge into a pole. A couple of guys I knew with Rabbit GTis crashed them repeatedly. A good friend threw a Z28 off the road also swerving to "miss a deer" (story later confirmed to be untrue. Shocker). Etc. etc. etc.

Point being, teenagers wrecking cars is hardly a new phenomonon. What HAS changed, and dramatically, is the performance envelope of cars that teenagers drive today.

The GTi was considered a pretty quick ride back in 1984. It did 0-60 in maybe the high 9 second range, and handled a lot better than just about any car around, save a few exotics. Old muscle cars and Porsches still ruled the streets. Rich kids still got the new stuff, like they do today. They still wrecked them like they do today.

Nowadays, look at what you can get your hands on. Let's take the EVO MR for example. Sub 5 sec 0-60, 4 wheel drive, incredible handling limits on incredible tires, etc. The only cars I can think of from 1985 that could hope keep up with a new EVO MR on a racetrack would be a Countach, a VERY well driven Porsche 930 or early seventies Carrera RS, or a Ferrari 288 GTO. I may have missed one or two, but you get the point.

The problem is, driver education hasn't changed one iota. Youngsters are just as unprepared for performance driving today as they were in yesteryear, but the velocities are so much higher now. Hell, even a cheap CRX with a B16a transplant and a few suspension mods would run circles around 90% of the cars produced in 1985.

At the end of the day, it ain't the cars, its the kids. Nothing has really changed since my day as a lad, kids are still wrecking cars due to exuberance trumping experience and skill. The solution is driver education, driver education, driver education. A note to all parents out there: If you're gonna buy your kid a wicked ride, put a coupon for high performance driving school in the glovebox. Give them a fighting chance.

Thoughts?
-Mirror

 

When I was in high school I went to visit my brother at college. Well I wasn't paying attention (17 or 18 yoa) and I started to pass people left and right thinking Im making good time. Long story short, I get pulled over for doing 99 in a 65.... in my mothers Windstar.
I am quite imbaressed about doing that but there is nothing I can do but learn from it.
Moral.... had anything jumped out in front of me I would not be able to swerve out of the way and would not be typing this because at 99mph I would be lucky to continue breathing let alone typing.

 

Good post. I still don't think it's the driver's ed fault. They don't teach you to drive like a street car racer. It isn't the job. I blame the parents who buy their kids these cars and if the kid is able to afford it then more power to him. We can't stop them to drive like this, well maybe the insurance companies...

 

About 6 weeks ago I posted a sad link where 5 HS kids had died in ONE WEEK in one county here in MD. Racing was involved in 3 deaths (at least).

I'm an old fart (39) but I don't believe HS kids should drive.

18 years old and up.

Sure, peeps will say, then you just get 18 year olds doing stupid things and getting killed.

However would I let a 16 year old (kid) be a cop/fireman/solder? etc??

Age brings wisdom (sometimes) IMO

 

I remember hearing about those wrecks. The cops in MD really cracked down on teens the next couple weeks afterwards. I honestly think this problem has many facets.

1) Parents give kids these cars and these kids have no sense of ownership. They also do not realize how much money it takes to fully finance a car, from leasing/buying to insurance, gas, wear and tear, etc. This leads to disrespect of a lethal machine.

2) There are not enough policemen on the roads to stop all the offending drivers. With almost no consequences for speeding or aggressive driving, drivers will not change their habits.

3) As said before, driver's ed has not changed a bit. I'm not saying they should teach aggressive driving, but they should modify the curriculum to teach what could happen in high speed impacts. This should include photos of crashes.

I am an EMT (working my way to paramedic), and I have seen some nasty crashes. It's a shame, but teens are a form of job security. Living on a college campus and volunteering at the local firehouse, a lot of college students coming back from college night, driving drunk, serve as a main source of calls.

The sad thing is, the most sobering perspective on a crash is being in one. Most teens will not change their habits until this happens.

 

yep there is a BIG difference between 16 year olds and 18 year olds, the driving age should really be raised to 18 IMO.

 

Just because a few uneducated idiots that drive cars like maniacs doesn't mean all teenagers should be punished.

If you want safety why not make driving illegal for everyone that hasn't completed a racing course.

There is a ton of old idiots that drive around not stopping at red lights for right turns... Driving on the left lane below speed limit... Doing makeup while driving (Saw this myself yesterday on the LEFT LANE!) and talking on the cell phone...

Edit- Btw... I have been driving since I was 16... And I have never received a single ticket nor incident in my life yet.

And no I'm not a grandma driver... I consider myself a decent driver ;p

 

and taxes are going up

and social security is about to be bankrupta

and the polar ice caps are about to melt

and we still havent found bin laden

and bush won the election

and....

 

Most everyone thinks they are a good driver until reality shows them otherwise.

Even if you are a good driver, all it takes is one lapse in judgement for an accident.

Having no tickets or accidents is great. I think there is alot of luck involved with that statistic tho. I know plenty of shitty drivers who can say the same thing.

 

Well I can see both sides of the argument. I am 17 and have had my S2000 for a couple of months now and I know that I still have a lot more to learn about driving. Just for everyone's information, NO my parents did not buy the car for me (I paid for it myself, but they do help with insurance) and I have never gotten a ticket or been in an accident. I think the main reason for all these accidents is because of the driving education classes. I took the Driver's Ed course at my high school and I was just amazed how completely stupid and easy it was. I got a perfect score on both the written and driving parts of the test. Even all of the stoner kids in my class passed the test (THEY COULDN"T EVEN DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE!). I really do think they need to make the driving test harder, so they can keep some of these morons off the roads.