It has been suggested my another member that teens are unjustly stereotyped as being bad drivers. Personally I don't believe this because it conflicts with the current general consensus that the stereotypical bad driver is either a woman or a minority.

My contention is that teens aren't bad drivers, but they are inexperienced drivers. The sad truth statistically is that the largest amount of teen deaths is because of automobile accidents, and most of these accidents are related to speeding. There are always going to be contributing factors involved, such as distractions, the time of day, and of course drugs and alcohol.

The general trend at the moment is for a graduated drivers license. This is being practiced in all but five states, Arizona may reduce that number to four in the near future as they are trying to pass legislature for their own graduated driver license program. The restrictions these programs impose vary from state to state.

How do you feel about this approach, do you think the restrictions imposed are strict enough or not strict enough? What changes would you like to see?

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All 71 Replies

Well not necessarily, some drivers are maniacs but others do have a brain cell and do obey our laws very well ~ learners can be annoying though ~ stalling at lights ~ driving 15mph in a 30mph zone etc..
But i will be one of them soon so i cant complain

Teens statistically are more likely to have an accident due to inexperience on the road but its wrong to say all teens are bad drivers.

I'm 24 now, I have 6 years no claims and my insurance is still over a grand!

I accept that teens are bad drivers but not all of em. In my country to get a driving license all people have to do is just bribe the officials who's incharge of the test and in few minutes you can see a driving license in you hand :@ . i am an indian and i hate my country for doing such illegal stuff , the death toll keeps increasing every year because of automobile accidents. The worst part is almost 80% of them are teenagers and drivers who dont have proper driving skills :(

P.S. For all the indians out here. Well that is the truth and you guys know it.

My contention is that teens aren't bad drivers, but they are inexperienced drivers. The sad truth statistically is that the largest amount of teen deaths is because of automobile accidents, and most of these accidents are related to speeding.

That makes anyone a bad driver. A good driver will rarely, if ever, have accidents. Although here in St Louis a teen is more likely to get killed with a gun then with a car.

I like to consider myself a good driver. Having said that, I'm 19 and have been in 2 wrecks... neither of which were my fault. One Christina and I were hit by a drunk driver; the other a woman thought it would be a good idea to pull out in front of a 50mph teenager (me).

here are some pics (see attached)

Serunson wrote this in another thread "also why is it that men automatically get the 'bad speed daemon' title and have to pay obscene amounts compared to women on car insurance?"

Statistically the most dangerous group of drivers are males between the ages of 16 and 25.

pty...I didn't get my first decent break in the cost of my insurance until I turned forty, and just realized my second decent break at the ripe ole age of fifty five. I have a friend that waited until he turned fifty five so that he could better afford the insurance on his dream car, a 2003 fiftieth annaversay issue Corvette.

One of the issues that the graduated drivers license is experience, for a detailed outline of what the NHTSA and the AAMVA has suggested read this.

I don't understand why you decided to post this thread.

All because I said, 'statistics or stereotypes?'

and nice car by the way Duki, lovely paintjob. Did you get it repaired or was it written off for scrap?

i good at naming cars but it shurly was a write off with that amount of damage! was that the drunk driver or the granny that caused this?

Actually, she wasn't that old.
But yeah, that was the woman.

mmm
i see a patten emerging
I was being driven back from college the other day and this woman came pelting around in her black Merc going like 50 in a 30 and was sooooo close to the boot i could see the colour of her eyes! ~ she was that close
I HATE people who do that ~ they should all be jailed or summit ~ or failing that forced to drive fiat 500's :D

lol serunson, did i tell you about my mum getting run into in here wee peagueout 107?

While I resent the stereotype that young men are crazy drivers, there is some truth to it. I know I wasn't afraid to speed through areas, although I claim that I only did so to a safe extent. The only accident I've been in was not my fault (I was T-boned when I had an obvious right of way - I was turnin left into a parking lot, and this gal was turning left out of it). On the other hand, I almost freak out when I'm riding with most any of my friends driving, speeding or not. Inexperience is probably the largest part of it, and it helps that I'm the only one of my friends that has actually owned their own vehicle (they all borrow their parents' cars on occasion; I'm on my 4th car :P).

Unfortunately, the only way to cure inexperience is to, well, get experience. On the other hand, there's also a lot of people who do things without considering the possible circumstances. I still make stupid decisions here and there, I'm just lucky enough to have not had an accident from it.

I will also note that, after a couple speeding tickets, my driving has been mostly tamed. :P

What's a graduated driver's liscense? Do they use them in Ohio?

I'm the only one of my friends that has actually owned their own vehicle (they all borrow their parents' cars on occasion; I'm on my 4th car :P).

4th? Wow, you're lucky. :) I've only had one car, but I will be getting a new one on my 18th birthday. (I'm quite excited)... =p

I don't understand why you decided to post this thread.

All because I said, 'statistics or stereotypes?'

I didn't mention you, this is not about you, have a nice day.:)

It has been suggested my another member that teens are unjustly stereotyped as being bad drivers.

Oh is it not? =/

What's a graduated driver's liscense? Do they use them in Ohio?

I did provide a link with that information, all else failed...google is your friend.

4th? Wow, you're lucky. :) I've only had one car, but I will be getting a new one on my 18th birthday. (I'm quite excited)... =p

Lucky? Maybe. I had to pay for everything car related (drivers ed, car, car insurance, etc...), and they weren't the nicest cars in the parking lot. I started with an '86 Toyota Tercel station wagon bought from a co-worker, then a '95 Ford Escort bought at an auction, then a '92 Nissan 240SX (sweet car if I'd been able to sink money into it) from a neighbor, and just recently a '97 VW Jetta (only because the 240SX was wrecked).

Definitely puts a different spin on it when you have to pay for everything though :icon_wink:

Lucky? Maybe. I had to pay for everything car related (drivers ed, car, car insurance, etc...), and they weren't the nicest cars in the parking lot. I started with an '86 Toyota Tercel station wagon bought from a co-worker, then a '95 Ford Escort bought at an auction, then a '92 Nissan 240SX (sweet car if I'd been able to sink money into it) from a neighbor, and just recently a '97 VW Jetta (only because the 240SX was wrecked).

Definitely puts a different spin on it when you have to pay for everything though :icon_wink:

Ahh, I see. ;)
I have a '98 grand am with 100,000+ miles on it. But oh well, as long as it gets me from point A to point B.

(Don't they offer driver's ed for free? - They do here.)

No, drivers ed was about $300 through my school. They stopped offering it a year later, so my sister had to pay $450 to go to another place.

Oh my goodness. That's ridiculous! Did you get any benefits from it? (lower insurance)

Here's a bet..infarction and christina, I bet neither of you can stick to the topic of this thread for more that five posts. Neither of you show any respect for anyone esle's threads, you just go off on your own tangent. I started this thread to avoid this situation as it was occurring in another. Show some maturity, or at least some respect.

Now y'all have a nice day...ya hear?

commented: ?!? -2
commented: =/ +0

Excuse me? But we were not off topic AT ALL.
We were talking about DRIVER'S education. Isn't this thread titled 'Are teens bad drivers?'

Wow, calm down dcc.

Everyone besides me and my wife are bad drivers. Everyone knows that. And I'd think I was better than my wife if circumstances wouldn't continually prove me wrong.

Inattentive drivers are road hazards. I think teens tend to fit a profile of inattentiveness (when I encounter them -- which is not regularly). There are too many other groups that fit the profile as well. Old, cell-phoners, out-of-area folks, etc. Some are trying and doing a poor job. Others just suck at it.

commented: hah! funny- good post +3

Excuse me? But we were not off topic AT ALL.
We were talking about DRIVER'S education. Isn't this thread titled 'Are teens bad drivers?'

Wow, calm down dcc.

If this thread was about surgery you would be comparing scars and thinking that it was germane to the topic. Are you sure you're not really blonde????

commented: ENOUGH with the stupid blonde jokes. They're not funny and it's getting old. +0
commented: Yes, I am thoroughly tired of it too. I'm not blonde! -2

If this thread was about surgery you would be comparing scars and thinking that it was germane to the topic. Are you sure you're not really blonde????

No, I'm a brunette who is smart and knows what she is talking about. This thread is about teenagers who drive, mine and Infarctions conversation was about teenagers who take driver's education in high school. Which is obviously and completely on topic.

If this thread was about surgery, then we were talking about classes that doctors must take in medical school to be considered a surgeon.

Think about what you say before you post, you make absolutely no sense whatsoever. And congratulations, you have 'derailed' your own thread.

commented: I don't think you were off topic. +3

Yes Christina...your 98 grand am with all those miles was really nailing this topic...your turn.

Inattentive drivers are road hazards. I think teens tend to fit a profile of inattentiveness (when I encounter them -- which is not regularly). There are too many other groups that fit the profile as well. Old, cell-phoners, out-of-area folks, etc. Some are trying and doing a poor job. Others just suck at it.

This is very true. I, myself, have been one of those who don't pay attention from time to time. But it is very rare. I think that is the number 1 reason for why there are so many 'bad drivers.'
(teens especially..) - We tend to boom out our music so loud that the person's car next to us can feel the vibrations. And we also try to 'look cool' with loads of distracting peers in one car, chatting on our cell phones, laying our seats back so far that you can't tell anyone is driving it, not wearing our seat belts, multitasking, and several other factors that contribute to 'not paying attention.'

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