ok, so today it was raining quite a bit and we're at a light after the freeway offramp...all of a sudden i get tagged from behind by some gal in her new model mbz c300 ...i get out and check the damages & she's looking at me like it's MY fault...i then ask for her license, insurance, etc & find out she's only 18, and ironically goes to the same school i was taking my daughter to it seems like this is a common occurence because some of my daughter's friends have had their accidents already as well, with someone almost totalling their car...is it just me or are teens nowadays just too inexperenced in driving???

 

Too inexperienced and too distracted...

Not to mention that no 18 y/o should be driving anything worth more than $1300...

 

She was busy texting someone.

 

And how do you expect them to gain experience?

But I agree that they have more distractions than we did as kids and have more attitude. Did she at least put away her Sidekick before getting out of the car?

 

Agreed. In general, new drivers in the US do not get enough training anyway.

 

I believe there should be some sort of graduated licensing program. As a new driver gains more skill and experience, then more privileges are granted.


Terry

 

Can't really blame teens for being inexperienced because moeronn is right, you gotta start somewhere. What if in a crazy country, people are only allowed to drive at age 25. Then every early adult will be blamed inexperienced.

 

i thought Canada has those? isn't it a sticker or something on the rear of the car some where?

PA has junior licenses which just means you can drive past 10 or 11 without an adult over 21.

and iirc you're suppose to have atleast acouple hundred hours behind the wheel with your driving permit before you get your license.

 

Agreed. Europe has the right idea. Extensive training, tougher tests, and more expensive fee to obtain your license. It's a privilege, not a right... so it should be earned (and tougher to earn then it is)...

 

I'm not entirely sure, by I think it's the responsibility of each province to determine the process for obtaining a driver's license and the method of enforcement.

Terry

 

i bought my 02 tl-s a week before my 18th birthday... paid it off before my 20th birthday, and :knocks on wood: have not had any incidents on the road...

i believe if you work for something you deserve to have it regardless of age, and although inexperience is inevitable to teen drivers i feel its a parents responsibility to teach their child the basics of safety on the road before they are legally allowed to drive on their own. just because we can all get our license at the same age (varies by state of course) does not mean we are all ready to.

one of many things i will always remember that my father taught me when i was learning to drive was to always glance over my shoulder before switching lanes and not rely on the mirrors. i cant tell you how many times that has allowed me to see a driver in my blind spot.

as for the OPs story, thats just careless airhead driving theres really no excuse for rearending someone at a dead stop

 

What kind of safe and reliable car can you get for $1300?

 

You can't

 

Definitely distracted nowadays due to texting and talking on the phone and also if they have friends in the car they seem to not pay as close attention as they should be.

Also I hate how those girls, like the one in your case, had mommy and daddy buy them an expensive first car and they think they are the shit/invincible. Then they get in a wreck and either deny it cus they are stuck up teenage snobs, or/and they complain to mommy and daddy and get it fixed, just to cause another wreck a few months later.

 

This type of shit is always bound to happen. What is a problem is that if nothing is learned from it.

 

It has to do with parents buying BMW's and MB's for their children. I am a teen yet I bought my TSX with my own money. Eventhough I borrowed 2 grand from parents, I repaid them later

 

dumbass girls texting...... I started driving 5 months ago, and I stay completely focused on the road 100% of the time. Phone is on silent and radio can be barely heard. Just stay away from those ricer folk, and teenage girls they're the worst. Kids think they're invincible. Driving is too dangerous to mess with.

 

^ - You must be fun to drive with

 

Not allowed to drive people until next year.

 

we have the same law in Ma but I believe that its after 12 am

My finacee was in an accident in 06, she stopped to let a group of children cross a very busy street, and an 18 year old girl plowed her at 35-40 mph, never even touched the brakes because she would have had to be paying attention to have needed them.

It totally fucked up her already very bad back, Ironicly due to a drunk 19 year old girl rear ending her at 55-60.

 

It's not teens as much as it is female teen drivers. The type that finally manage to squeak by and get a license after failing the test a few times....

 

You forgot the red text.

 

^ HTF do you fail a driving test in the US, if you are not blind or have an IQ<50?

 

Oh yeah. I forgot about that rule.

 

sheeyat..i wasnt able to drive until i was 22 because i just couldn't afford to have a car...much less have it insured...

LOL good one...

indeed...just sucks that she acted like the way she did...

and have "mommy & daddy" fix whatever for you and do it all again later i just hope IF it does happen to her again, she doesn't seriously injure anybody...she got off easy this time imho...

 

I'm against it.

 

well reliable, no, safe yes. Personally I'm glad I was given a pos as a first car, I appreciated it and I learned how to work on one. This shouldn't be limited to guys either. However in reality, I wouldn't want my daughter driving around in a $1300 car, maybe $3-5k. I didn't red text on purpose. Than again look what I drive. total value of my cars $6k.

I think even adults should be retested often, I've driven with adults that were as scary or scarier than teens. A bad driver as a teen could stay a bad driver if they're lucky, as in somehow they dont learn their lesson by crashing many times. Old people shouldn't even be allowed a license. At 65, you get your car taken away and replaced with a scooter.

 

If I recall correctly, the driving schools give something like 20 hours behind the wheel and then they take the driver's test.

 

@ myx: yea, i was scared to ride w/ my grandpa because he just..uhm...shouldn't be driving anymore...

 

young and rich. hmm.... I like.

what's her number?

 

^^^ ROFLMAO...for a nominal fee...uhm...hmmm...*thinks how much deductible is*

 

A free '91 Honda Prelude and $1300 left over?

 

We have it in ontario, there's 3 levels.

Class G1

New drivers of passenger vehicles learn to drive with six important conditions with a G1 licence. A new driver must hold a G1 licence for a minimum of 12 months before attempting the G1 road test. This time can be reduced to eight months if you successfully complete an approved driver education course. Drivers earn more privileges after passing their G1 road test.

As a G1 driver, you are required to:

* maintain a zero blood alcohol level while driving;
* be accompanied by a fully licensed driver, who has at least four years driving experience, and a blood alcohol level of less than .05 per cent, in case he/she needs to take over the wheel;
* ensure the accompanying driver is the only other person in the front seat;
* ensure the number of passengers in the vehicle is limited to the number of working seat belts;
* refrain from driving on Ontario's "400-series" highways or on high speed expressways such as the Queen Elizabeth Way, Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway, E.C. Row Expressway and the Conestoga Parkway; FWIW to our American friends the 400 series of highways would be equivalent to your major interstates.
* refrain from driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m.

New drivers must hold a G2 licence for a minimum of 12 months before they can attempt the G2 road test. At this level, you have more privileges because of your driving experience. You may drive without an accompanying driver on all Ontario roads anytime. However, you are still required to:

* maintain a zero blood alcohol level while driving;
* ensure the number of passengers in the vehicle is limited to the number of working seat belts.

To further protect youth on our roads, effective September 1, 2005: the number of young passengers that teen G2 drivers can carry will be limited from midnight to 5 a.m. as follows:

* Initially, G2 drivers 19 or under can carry only one passenger aged 19 or under.
* After the first six months, and until the G2 driver earns a full G licence or turns 20, they can carry only three passengers aged 19 or under.
These restrictions will not apply if the G2 driver is accompanied by a full "G" licensed driver (with at least four years driving experience) in the front seat, or if the passengers are immediate family members.

And finally after all this you have to complete another roadtest which is longer and more comprehensive to get your full G license.

 

Ontario has it... One really good thing is that a new driver can't drive unless a driver with at least 5yrs experience is in the car. It kinda prevents a bunch of kids driving around in a car like it is a party.

I think where the system really falls apart is training and testing. The system allows drivers to get their license based on the performance of a single driving session. Our system requires 2 driving sessions, but the second is pretty lame.

 

i went to a mazda event once where they let everyone test drive their cars, everyone was timed. the best drivers were all europeans who busted their ass to get a license.
I agree that we should go through a more intensive driving program. My girlfriend called me laughing that she rear ended someone one day.I got so pissed especially because she has a brand new jetta. The one time I rear ended someone I almost shit my pants. Mind you the damage was minimal (thank God) but now i have a slightly fucked up front bumper and get reminded to not fuck around whenever i get in the CL

 

No-- we sucked at driving when we were teens as well.

I managed to hit a T-Bird in a blind intersection while @ 30 mph when I was 18, and one buddy had three cars on which he did unintended body work at various points in junior and sophomore years-- but we were driving used cars bought for $3K or less.

Oh, to be young and stupid again...

 

but what would the 3k equivalent be nowadays eh?

 

About $6K-$7K in 2007 dollars, I think.

My first car was in 1981, and actually cost less than $2500. Oh, and I was 17 when I had that wreck, not 18.

 

alot of ignorance in this thread.

i agree 100% that it is WAY to easy to get a license. i think any new driver should have the safest car possible within the families budget.

whenever a teen is involved in an accident they says its cause of inexperience.

alright well fck everyone, if your not 23 and over you cant drive....

come on, lets get serious, everyone was in the same stage, being a new driver and thinking you are an "expert" at driving

 

<----------expert driver