Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Raise the minimum driving age to 18

The little boy stood in the middle of the bedroom he shared with his twin brother and sobbed. He knew what he had done was a bad thing, but not knowing how to fix it was worst. His mom and dad had told him not to play with his brother’s toys, but like most 5-year-olds, he didn’t listen. Now his twin brother’s much beloved toy, Ultra Man, lay at his feet, broken into many pieces.

Like most people, last week I was shocked to hear about the tragedy involving yet another 16-year-old driver who crashed his car, injuring himself and his two passengers.

This was not an accident! Accidents are things that can’t be avoided. This event could have been. From the news reports, high speed was part of the problem. The 14-year-old in the back seat was unrestrained (not wearing a seat belt) and was ejected from the car. He was flown to the hospital. His life and the lives of his family members have been changed forever. Bet he never thought of that when he decided not to buckle up.

I wish a speedy recovery to everyone involved in the crash, especially to the young passenger who was air-lifted. My heart goes out to all parents of teenagers involved in car crashes.

Though I didn’t respond to the call, I’ve been on many just like it, far too many over the years. Sadly, most motor vehicle crashes which ended in a fatality could have turned out differently if the passengers had simply worn seat belts. The question is not, why should people wear seat belts, but rather why don’t they?

Why don’t teenagers wear their seat belts? “It wrinkles my dress.” “It constricts me.” “I don’t like it.” “My Dad makes me wear one so I’m gonna show him who’s boss and not wear it.” “I’m just going around the corner.” I’ve heard them all.

My son, fondly referred to as “The Boy,” ain’t perfect, but he does do one thing before he cranks up his car: He fastens his seat belt. At least he’ll still be around years from now, which is good: He’ll give me something to write about.

Bottom line: The only thing that keeps you inside the vehicle is a seat-belt. There’s no reason for not wearing one. None!

Speed. Please tell me what could have been so darn important to the 16-year-old, who just got his driver’s license a week earlier, that he would speed? By doing so, he carelessly placed not only his life, but the lives of his fellow passengers, in peril.

My Boy has just turned 17, and still he’s not allowed to ride in a car driven by another teenager. Why not? Three reasons: The number one way teenagers are injured is by motor vehicles, and the number one way teenagers are killed is by motor vehicles. And he has a responsible parent to tell him not to!

You 16-year-old drivers out there, are you getting the picture yet? With freedom comes a bunch of responsibility!

You’re not wrapped in a blanket of invincibility when you jump behind the wheel of a vehicle; you’re wrapped in metal and glass. And if you speed and don’t wear a seat belt, you’ll be in a lethal weapon one second and possibly your coffin the next.

Was the young driver showing off or just trying to look cool? I don’t know, but I do know ya don’t look so cool after you fly through the windshield.

Age. The law states that a 16-year-old could only have family members the age of 18 or older in their cars for the first six months after they receive a driver’s license. So why was a 14-year-old even in the car?

I’m fully aware there’re good teenage drivers out there who obey the traffic laws. Side note to all teenagers: Traffic laws are in place to not only keep you safe, but to keep us safe too.

It’s my opinion that the majority of teenagers don’t have the maturity to be behind the wheel of a lethal weapon at age 16. Trust me; I’ve seen the results. Especially when irresponsible parents buy them high-performance vehicles!

When you give your teenager a high-end sports car, make sure you take lots of pictures on that happy day. Your child won’t ever look the same after it’s wrapped around a tree. Hopefully, you’ll be going to the hospital rather than a funeral. Increase the driving age to 18, and you’ll see a lot less carnage on our streets.

Growing up, I heard my father say many times, “Son, don’t worry about it. Everyone makes a mistake or two. That’s why they put erasers on the end of pencils. But there’re some mistakes you’ll make even I won’t be able to help you fix.” I passed this gem of knowledge on to the Boy years ago, and reminded him of it again just last week. Everyone makes mistakes.

In writing, dramatic irony arises when you see an oncoming disaster, but the main character does not and a tragedy happens that could have been avoided. When you see your son or daughter start to drive off without wearing a seat belt and you do nothing, isn’t that dramatic irony?

Dad was right; some mistakes can’t be fixed, but not wearing a seat belt isn’t one of them. Some mistakes you can only make once.

The little boy wiped his tears from his face, put the broken toy in the closet, closed the door, went outside and played with his brothers in hopes that when he returned, the toy would be well again. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, when someone we loved became broken from being in a high-speed car crash, all we had to do was to put them in a closet, close the door, go out and play, and when we got back they too would be all well again?

Teenagers, please slow down and wear your seat-belts. You are not invincible. We have already lost too many of you.

[Rick Ryckeley, a regular columnist in The Citizen every Friday, works for Fayette County’s Emergency Services.]