Wednesday, September 4, 2002
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Wednesday, September 4, 2002 |
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Responsible 15-year-olds should get to drive carts Safety is common-sense, but sometimes it helps for someone to call our attention to problems or dangers that we have not considered but should have. That is the reason the golf cart regulations have been currently updated. Someone recognized a problem and worked to fix it. The law of unintended consequences can create new problems when all you meant to do was correct the original one. On Sept. 5 the Peachtree City Council will vote on the final wording of the changes to the golf cart regulations passed at the Aug. 15 meeting. They are an important first step but the job is not finished yet. We would like parents to also have the ability to permit their 15-year-old teens to drive with their siblings in order to help with the responsibility of transporting them to their activities. Driving unsupervised should allow teens to take on more responsibilities, not just for their own fun or activities. The parents should be the ones to determine when their teen is ready for this additional responsibility. As a teen, when I was handed the keys to the family car, along with it came the grocery list, the dry cleaning receipts and the admonition not to be late when I dropped off or picked up my younger sisters at their school or activities. Our regulations need to allow additional responsibilities along with the additional freedoms. The wording was added to allow grandchildren to drive with their grandparents, but not to include other authorized adults. I don't understand why I can authorize surgery for my sister's child with a medical release form when he stays with me, but not have him drive my golf cart with me when he visits at the age of 12 to 14. Could the words, "or other adults so authorized by the parent," or some other wording to that extent be added to the current wording along with the grandparents? Requiring a learner's permit is an appropriate first step. It means each teen has already passed the test on the automobile driver's handbook, but it only permits supervised driving. If we are permitting teens to drive our golf carts unsupervised at 15 that requires an additional level of responsibility. Responsible teen drivers have never been the problem. The problem has always been the irresponsible drivers (of any age) and their driving to impress (themselves or their friends) that puts others at needless risk and that is what has not yet been addressed. It must be the responsibility of the parent to determine when their teen has reached the needed level of good judgement and respect for others necessary to keep our path system safe for all. It is not the ability to turn the steering wheel or press the accelerator that should determine when a teen will drive unsupervised. It should be the level of responsibility already shown by that teen in their actions and choices that determines the timing and that is what too often does not happen. This is the core problem. It is the parent who caves in under the pressure of too little time and a persistent teen who insists that they are ready to drive unsupervised. They hand the keys over when they really know they should not and once done it is even harder to deny that privilege next time. A prime example of that is the otherwise law-abiding parents who gave their teens (responsible or not) the keys when it was against the law to do so. Imagine the struggle faced by the parent of the immature or not yet responsible but strong-willed teen caught in the same time crunch. It is too easy to just hand over the keys and possibly let someone else pay the consequences of an irresponsible teen terrorizing our paths. That is the real problem and it has not yet been dealt with. Now, we can take the lazy route and say it is just the parents' problem, but the reality is that it is a problem for anyone in their way on our paths. It is up to us to do what we can to protect ourselves. The way to do this is to help the parents of all teens to recognize the signs they need to see as established patterns that indicate the teen who is ready for this freedom. Just require parents to stop and think one more time before they hand over the keys to a golf cart. Require the parent and the teen to sign a checklist or permission form that verifies in writing that their teen meets this minimum standard. The really important part of this requirement is to move the pressure from the parent to where it really belongs, on the teen. It should be the teen's responsibility to show their parent through their actions and choices that they are mature and responsible enough to handle this freedom. All the parent is responsible for is to verify it. In our very busy world too many parents are caving in and this is a way we can at least have them see the standard of what a responsible 15-year-old teen in our community should be held to. It will allow the parent to say to their teen, "This is the standard required. When you show me you have met it, I will sign it, but not until then." This will take the responsibility, recently needlessly placed too much on our police department, and place it more clearly where it belongs, on the teen and their parents. Let's return the police to a supporting role, initially informing and then to the backup position, to be there when the first two fail. The final decision on 15-year-olds driving unsupervised is not yet secured. At the next City Council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in City Hall, it will come up for another vote. Supporters and those opposing it can still influence the outcome. The presence of teens who show through their actions to be responsible will help our cause. Irresponsible teens, that night or in the future, can still cost everyone this privilege. Kathleen Cheney Peachtree City
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