[Nov]

The reasonn this topic is in the debate sectionn is because I knoww a lot of CTers drive and everything so there should be a lot of opinions. Should teenagers be ablee to get a license at 16? Here it's at 17, but same idea.

Not tooo far from here a 17 year old girl was drunk and drovee straight into a tree and died recently. And things like thatt happen all the time here. Even at schoool, the kids have brand new cars and race them out of the parkingg lot. The other day we were pulling out of our drivewayy and the driver guy (I knew him from school) was on his phone and didn't see us so there was almost an acccident. Cars to thesee guys are more like fancy new toys. I don't think a lot of peoplee on the road are reallly ready to drive. They don't seeem to understandd the dangers until someone is hurt. These are also peoplee who don't follow curfew or have an adult in the car before they get their real license.

But a lot of teeenage drivers really aren't negligent or irrresponsible like these and they neeed to drive to get to schoool/work. Even so, people are beingg hurt for no reason so should it really stay the same?

This doesn't reallly have to do with the whole acccidents thing, but some girl gave my momm the finger the other day from her carr and she freaked. So I've beeen hearing about this stuff alll morning from her about how "you kids" shouldn't be on the road. x3

[Felicia]

Nov, on 21 July 2010 - 07:22 PM, said:

Not tooo far from here a 17 year old girl was drunk and drovee straight into a tree and died recently. And things like thatt happen all the time here. Even at schoool, the kids have brand new cars and race them out of the parkingg lot. The other day we were pulling out of our drivewayy and the driver guy (I knew him from school) was on his phone and didn't see us so there was almost an acccident. Cars to thesee guys are more like fancy new toys. I don't think a lot of peoplee on the road are reallly ready to drive. They don't seeem to understandd the dangers until someone is hurt. These are also peoplee who don't follow curfew or have an adult in the car before they get their real license.

And those stupid kids are the reason why I'm about to get a new car for school and my insurance rate is skyrocketing hundreds of dollars. I hate, hate, HATE that I am being classified with a bunch of idiots. My friends are good drivers. I'm a good driver. But we have the dimwits at our school that do the racing around the parking lot, speeding through the lot not caring if students are walking through, etc. And of course they don't drive like that for their road test.

I still think teens should be able to get a license at 16. However, I know this would be a hassle for the insurance people, but maybe this would create a lot of jobs. Maybe someone from insurance should go along for the road test too. They might learn that some teen drivers really are better than adults and especially the elderly. Because, for every stupid teen driver, there is an adult that tailgates someone in a fit of road rage, an adult that cuts someone off the get to their exit because they were distracted while talking on the phone, an elderly person that goes drastically above the speed limit, and an elderly person that goes extremely below the speed limit. And they get lower insurance rates than a perfect teen driver.

And I only gave someone the finger once. It was to the cement truck that decided to slow down when I realized I couldn't pass him to get to my exit on the highway. So he slowed down as I was slowing down, preventing me to safely get off the highway, and I missed my exit. Basically had a panic attack because I didn't know the area past that exit. Of course, he goes back to driving normally, so I can pass him, and as I was doing so, I may or may not have given him the finger

[Hobbies230]

There'd be a pretty big uproar if the driving age was raised, both from the teenagers and their parents (because I'm sure they're tired of driving their kids everywhere). There's nothing anyone can really do to prevent stupid teen drivers because, like Felicia said, they don't drive that way during their exam.

I absolutely loathe driving, so I'm very careful when I'm out on the road. I trust myself to make good decisions, but not those around me, especially when I had to deal with idiots in my high school parking lot.

[Rikaku]

Don't change the driving age... but do be quicker to take teens' licenses away if they're doing stuff like that. If they're racing, talking on the phone, drinking and driving, they aren't ready to drive yet. If a cop catches them doing that, I'd say they have to go back to the permit stage where their parents watch them for a month or two.

Oh, and make sure they know how to pull out of parking spaces... I was never really taught that and accidently hit a car doing it...

[Felicia]

Hobbies230, on 22 July 2010 - 12:18 PM, said:

I absolutely loathe driving, so I'm very careful when I'm out on the road. I trust myself to make good decisions, but not those around me, especially when I had to deal with idiots in my high school parking lot.

Wow, that's exactly how I feel!! I have come to the point where I tolerate driving, but I don't trust anyone, especially semi trucks. When I'm on the highway, and I'm driving by someone or someone is driving by me, I expect them to change the lane into me.

Anyways, I'm trying to figure out how red paint got on my back bumper. I actually didn't even notice it until my dad pointed it out while he was washing the car. He was able to get it off with some type of cleaner. I'm guessing someone hit me, because I'm very super sensitive when backing out of spots. I've had some tight calls when getting out of the baby parking lot at work when 5 of us have to park there, but even if I hit something, none of the cars are red.

[Nov]

I honestly don't want to drivee. I don't want to run somebody overr and then it's all my fault. ._.

Quote

but do be quicker to take teens' licenses away if they're doing stuff like that. If they're racing, talking on the phone, drinking and driving, they aren't ready to drive yet. If a cop catches them doing that, I'd say they have to go back to the permit stage where their parents watch them for a month or two.

Yeah, that's a bettter idea. I don't know why, but the police around here are reallly lazy with these people.

[Hobbies230]

Felicia, on 23 July 2010 - 07:43 AM, said:

Anyways, I'm trying to figure out how red paint got on my back bumper. I actually didn't even notice it until my dad pointed it out while he was washing the car. He was able to get it off with some type of cleaner. I'm guessing someone hit me, because I'm very super sensitive when backing out of spots. I've had some tight calls when getting out of the baby parking lot at work when 5 of us have to park there, but even if I hit something, none of the cars are red.

Funny, because me and my dad noticed that the back of my car has a damn dent in it. Not on the bumper, but on the trunk door. I've never hit anything backing up because, like you, I'm very weary about that. I just don't know what could have hit me to put a dent there, but no anywhere else. It's pretty small, at least.

Nov, on 23 July 2010 - 10:03 AM, said:

I honestly don't want to drivee. I don't want to run somebody overr and then it's all my fault. ._.

You have to worry about other drivers way more than pedestrians. Just be careful when driving in parking lots because a lot of people just walk right on out from between cars without stopping to look. In the end it's THEIR fault if they get hit, but everyone is going to blame you for it, even the person that got hit, because they're all idiots.

[Felicia]

Hobbies230, on 23 July 2010 - 01:20 PM, said:

Funny, because me and my dad noticed that the back of my car has a damn dent in it. Not on the bumper, but on the trunk door. I've never hit anything backing up because, like you, I'm very weary about that. I just don't know what could have hit me to put a dent there, but no anywhere else. It's pretty small, at least.

Ughhhh probably the same thing that happened to my dad at work. You might have parked in a parking lot and a truck that had that trailer hitch that sticks out past the bumper might have hit your car when it was backing out. I hate it when people in trucks think they own everything. A lot of people who drive trucks are just as careful as everyone else...but then you get those conceited hillbillies, lol.

[Hobbies230]

Fuck trucks. If you're not using it for, you know, actually carrying stuff in the back, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

[Felicia]

Hobbies230, on 23 July 2010 - 10:35 PM, said:

Fuck trucks. If you're not using it for, you know, actually carrying stuff in the back, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

LOL I agree! That's why my dad only leased a truck for 2 years while he was working on a construction project. And we almost NEVER lease our vehicles.

Speaking of vehicles...test drove the Ford Fiesta yesterday. Love it.