To begin, our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire community of Griswold Connecticut, especially the friends and families of the teens whose lives ended to early. It is the mission of everyone in traffic safety to stop this exact thing from happening. When it does happen, we always have to pause and ask What Can We Do Better?
Here is what we know about the accident. 5 teenagers were in the 2007 Nissan Altima owned by a licensed 16 year old girl. After school, said 16 year old let her boyfriend, also aged 16 but with only a learner's permit, drive. The driver judged a corner wrong, lost control of the car and struck a tree head on. 4 of the 5 teens were killed instantly. The fifth passenger is in critical condition.
And now the finger pointing begins. It's the government's fault. We need more legislation. The irony of this call for government action is that the day before the accident, the DMV released this report on the success of the 2008 New Teen Driving Laws, claiming that the laws are responsible for the lowest teen fatality rate in years. So the laws we have are working.
Some say that it is the parent's fault, but how did this mother know that her daughter would allow her unlicensed boyfriend to drive? Her daughter had her license and thus had earned the right to drive. Then is it the school's fault? Should school administrators be responsible for enforcing the passenger restrictions in Teen Driving Laws? My friend Tim Hollister, who lost his son in a speed related traffic accident 4 years ago, suggests this isn't a bad idea in this Blog Post. I tend to agree with Tim. A high school principal or security supervisor at the exit of the high school parking lot will go along way in at least making teens think twice. Make it a part of the privilege of having your car at school. Want to park here? Follow the rules. Break the rules? Take the bus.
But then, if a student does sneak through with passengers, and does get in an accident, is the school liable? Every attorney in America just cringed.
What about the driving school? Were these student's not educated on the laws? Did they not know the risks? Truth be told, there are some really poor Driver's Ed operations in this state. But I will say this: I have never heard of a school messing up the laws. The importance of these laws and the safety they endorse is not lost on even the dumbest people in this business. So then more! More Driver's Ed! Gary Kneppler has been in this business for over 40 years and his opinion is often respected among his peers and media professionals. In this article run by the Connecticut Post, Mr. Kneppler says that more driver's ed is the answer! Legislate more driver's ed and the kids will be safer. I also tend to agree with Gary. Understand that in Europe, it costs close to $10,000 (USD equivalent) to educate a new teen driver before the government will even consider licensing. However, culturally in America, driving is considered a right. We have parents that complain that they have to pay for the $125 Safe Driving Course Requirement. The jump from $125 to $10,000 is more substantial than anyone is willing to swallow.
The thesis of this longer than I wanted it to be blog post is that there is not an answer to this question. No matter how many laws we write, no matter how great we may be at parenting, no matter how much effort a school administrator puts into enforcing rules, no matter how much driver's education a teen receives, there will always be accidents. Now is not the time to point fingers. Now is not the time to search for answers. Now is the time to recognize that four lives were lost far too soon, and countless others have been ruined, possibly forever. Give the people closest to these teens time to cope and remember their children and their friends properly. For those of us that are fortunate enough to spend this holiday season with all of those that are closest to us, be grateful for each other and the time that you have together.
With Condolences to the Community of Griswold, Until Soon,
BD
No comments:
Post a Comment