Teenage fatalities
Discussion
As a parent of and 18 year old who is soon to be on road with her own car every time you read of another teenage fatality your heart goes out to families
What confuses/bothers me though is how do some tenagers get insurance for some of the cars involved in these fatalities?
I've been quoted about 50% of the value of a base 3 year old corsa/fiesta/clio type car for insurance or more than doubling my premium & excess to add her to mine and then when you read of fatalities where the car is a hot hatch you wonder how do they do it?
Perish the thought but are there that many uninsured young drivers out there?
Or am I totally niave?
What confuses/bothers me though is how do some tenagers get insurance for some of the cars involved in these fatalities?
I've been quoted about 50% of the value of a base 3 year old corsa/fiesta/clio type car for insurance or more than doubling my premium & excess to add her to mine and then when you read of fatalities where the car is a hot hatch you wonder how do they do it?
Perish the thought but are there that many uninsured young drivers out there?
Or am I totally niave?
S2red said:
As a parent of and 18 year old who is soon to be on road with her own car every time you read of another teenage fatality your heart goes out to families
What confuses/bothers me though is how do some tenagers get insurance for some of the cars involved in these fatalities?
I've been quoted about 50% of the value of a base 3 year old corsa/fiesta/clio type car for insurance or more than doubling my premium & excess to add her to mine and then when you read of fatalities where the car is a hot hatch you wonder how do they do it?
Perish the thought but are there that many uninsured young drivers out there?
Or am I totally niave?
It all depends on what you're whilling to pay I guess? I had a 182 bhp car when I was 19, madness when you think about it. 140 MPH + car at my finger tips and just turned 19 at the time. My insurance was about £1,600 gross per the year. However, you don't have to have a quick car to kill yourself.What confuses/bothers me though is how do some tenagers get insurance for some of the cars involved in these fatalities?
I've been quoted about 50% of the value of a base 3 year old corsa/fiesta/clio type car for insurance or more than doubling my premium & excess to add her to mine and then when you read of fatalities where the car is a hot hatch you wonder how do they do it?
Perish the thought but are there that many uninsured young drivers out there?
Or am I totally niave?
Its not the car that's the problem, its the attitude.
My step-son passed his test at 17, and occasionaly had use of the (rustbucket 1.25L) car, but with the strict proviso that he was not to have anyone else in the car.
Peer pressure to act like a t
t seems to be very prevalent. It seems most teenage fatalities happen Fri-Mon and 10pm-4am, with 2/3/4 in the car.
My step-son passed his test at 17, and occasionaly had use of the (rustbucket 1.25L) car, but with the strict proviso that he was not to have anyone else in the car.
Peer pressure to act like a t
t seems to be very prevalent. It seems most teenage fatalities happen Fri-Mon and 10pm-4am, with 2/3/4 in the car.i used to see this all the time when i worked in a dealership, parents buying their kids hot hatches astra vxr's, focus st's, civic type r's etc and a few weeks later the car would be written off. even the salesmen were trying to discourage the parents from buying them but like most people they were thick and went ahead anyway. its not one specific thing that causes this but a few things put together:
1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
now im only 22 and im just thinking of getting a fast car cause i had the brains to realise that ill make mistakes and its safer to do them in slower cars than hot hatches i also wanted to build up my no claims bonus so it doesnt hurt so much when i get my fast car which in over 4 years of driving i havent claimed once or treated the streets like a race track
now regards to peer pressure, if the friends of these people are egging them on to go faster or have street races id personally stop the car and leave them at the side of the road cause they arent proper friends if they want you to risk your license or worst your life just so they get some fun then you shouldnt hang around with them. Now i have done this with several of my old friends when all they wanted to do was race on roads and i decided there no longer my friends and its sad to say but some of them have died in car crashes whilst acting like tts racing other people which tbh i seen coming and thats why i stopped being around them.
now i do feel sorry for their familys but if they were as strict as my parents were regarding cars them just maybe they would still be here but the government should put a sort of age limit on cars so for example you have to be over 21 to drive a hot hatch which i think would help the situation.
1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
now im only 22 and im just thinking of getting a fast car cause i had the brains to realise that ill make mistakes and its safer to do them in slower cars than hot hatches i also wanted to build up my no claims bonus so it doesnt hurt so much when i get my fast car which in over 4 years of driving i havent claimed once or treated the streets like a race track
now regards to peer pressure, if the friends of these people are egging them on to go faster or have street races id personally stop the car and leave them at the side of the road cause they arent proper friends if they want you to risk your license or worst your life just so they get some fun then you shouldnt hang around with them. Now i have done this with several of my old friends when all they wanted to do was race on roads and i decided there no longer my friends and its sad to say but some of them have died in car crashes whilst acting like tts racing other people which tbh i seen coming and thats why i stopped being around them.now i do feel sorry for their familys but if they were as strict as my parents were regarding cars them just maybe they would still be here but the government should put a sort of age limit on cars so for example you have to be over 21 to drive a hot hatch which i think would help the situation.
C.J.87 said:
its not one specific thing that causes this but a few things put together:
1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
4. Lack of appreciation of the way that a loaded car's suspension handles very differently from when you're only 1 or 2 up. Bumpstops bounce.1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
jimmystratos said:
C.J.87 said:
its not one specific thing that causes this but a few things put together:
1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
4. Lack of appreciation of the way that a loaded car's suspension handles very differently from when you're only 1 or 2 up. Bumpstops bounce.1. Stupid parents for letting their kids buy fast cars
2. New drivers thinking they are the best drivers on the road when they are far from it
3. Peer pressure which was said before
I think the reason so many new drivers crash is a combination of things. Firstly thinking they are the best drivers in the world and also because they haven't a clue how to handle a car. The current driving test is an absolute joke, it teaches you nothing about handling a car, which is something I think is pretty important. Another thing is there is a time and more importantly a place to drive quickly and that is something that many of them either forget or ignore. They also seem completely unable to understand the car they are driving, for example if you're driving a 1.2 corsa you have to understand that unlink on the Playstation you can't corner at 120MPH.
I was very lucky in that I got to drive and own some very powerful cars at a young age, something I was mature enough to handle but understand that many other's wouldn't be. I also spent a lot of my time on airfields and tracks and with professional drivers trying to be the best driver I could be and you know what, touch wood I haven't every had an accident. Now, I don't think I'm the best driver in the world, far from it but I think that If all the things I have learnt about how to read roads, handles cars etc had been included in the real driving test most young drivers would be far safer on the road.
I was very lucky in that I got to drive and own some very powerful cars at a young age, something I was mature enough to handle but understand that many other's wouldn't be. I also spent a lot of my time on airfields and tracks and with professional drivers trying to be the best driver I could be and you know what, touch wood I haven't every had an accident. Now, I don't think I'm the best driver in the world, far from it but I think that If all the things I have learnt about how to read roads, handles cars etc had been included in the real driving test most young drivers would be far safer on the road.
creationracing said:
Plus, proper skid control should be part of the test.
Completely agree! Edited by lambo_xx on Tuesday 30th March 17:35
Edited by lambo_xx on Tuesday 30th March 23:07
lambo_xx said:
Oh forgot to add it is worth remembering that most new drivers who crash haven't been driving powerful cars. Most of them are driving 1.0 Corsa's or similar.
Maybe it's just me but a high proportion of the fatalites where car is mentioned seem to be Turbo GTi VRS VTR EtcS2red said:
lambo_xx said:
Oh forgot to add it is worth remembering that most new drivers who crash haven't been driving powerful cars. Most of them are driving 1.0 Corsa's or similar.
Maybe it's just me but a high proportion of the fatalites where car is mentioned seem to be Turbo GTi VRS VTR Etclambo_xx said:
They also seem completely unable to understand the car they are driving, for example if you're driving a 1.2 corsa you have to understand that unlink on the Playstation you can't corner at 120MPH.
Lol dont think a 1.2 corsa can even go in a straight line at 120mph! Edited by lambo_xx on Tuesday 30th March 23:07
Nah but on a more serious note, a lot of these kids who get your 1.1 corsas and 1.1 saxo's put bigger engines in there cars and dont declare it as a way to bypass the insurance companies... thats one of the main problems as they'll have say 150bhp+ at there fingertips but the rest of the car isnt really built or tuned to do that much... Met a guy once who had 200bhp+ coming from his corsa, and he didnt really upgrade much else, made the car unpredictable and very very unsafe!
Alot are also fronting or are getting on parents "company insurance" aswell which is becoming increasingly popular.
I think part of the problem is the driving test, it doesnt really prepair you for driving in the open road and sharing it with others, your taught how to pass the test, not how to drive.
Luckily i was taught by someone who actually cared about driving and didnt see it as another job.
Healthy interest in cars helps as well i suppose.
Some people will just be destined to end it in a car, you cant talk to them. They believe they can cope with anything. Peer pressure and showing off leads to alot of the deaths i would believe.
17 year old in my street stuck his fiesta into a barrier after doing 70 in thick fog on a backroad, i drove that road for a good blast but most of the corners are 30-45mph max. He was lucky as the car was a mess but somehow it got fixed and lives on.
You dont need a fast car to have a smash, i parked my first car (1.2 8v clio) against a barrier doing 40mph and braking hard. Mistakes can be made and ive been fortunate that i have been unhurt in any smash ive had. Being rear ended by a 18 ton lorry did smart a tad though and sent the first freelander to the salvage auctions..
On the flip side, how many deaths are there in teenagers compaired to how many people pass?
It is a small number, but still a high figure in how its a sad way to end a young life and the hole it leaves behind for friends and family.
Luckily i was taught by someone who actually cared about driving and didnt see it as another job.
Healthy interest in cars helps as well i suppose.
Some people will just be destined to end it in a car, you cant talk to them. They believe they can cope with anything. Peer pressure and showing off leads to alot of the deaths i would believe.
17 year old in my street stuck his fiesta into a barrier after doing 70 in thick fog on a backroad, i drove that road for a good blast but most of the corners are 30-45mph max. He was lucky as the car was a mess but somehow it got fixed and lives on.
You dont need a fast car to have a smash, i parked my first car (1.2 8v clio) against a barrier doing 40mph and braking hard. Mistakes can be made and ive been fortunate that i have been unhurt in any smash ive had. Being rear ended by a 18 ton lorry did smart a tad though and sent the first freelander to the salvage auctions..
On the flip side, how many deaths are there in teenagers compaired to how many people pass?
It is a small number, but still a high figure in how its a sad way to end a young life and the hole it leaves behind for friends and family.
I have said my whole driving career that if I passed my test first time I'd have been upside down in a ditch within 2 months.
I failed my first test for going through a green light.....
Anyway, the extra few lessons I had (and loads of time driving with my Mum) made me a FAR more assertive driver when I passed my test. Obviously it's still when I really started to learn but I feel it grounded me a lot. I've always said that.
Pass Plus is a great course (helped me) and these days is heavily subsidised by government and council. This region should take the initiative and make it mandatory at no cost. If it saved one life then the cost incurred by the authorities would be worth it.
I failed my first test for going through a green light.....
Anyway, the extra few lessons I had (and loads of time driving with my Mum) made me a FAR more assertive driver when I passed my test. Obviously it's still when I really started to learn but I feel it grounded me a lot. I've always said that.
Pass Plus is a great course (helped me) and these days is heavily subsidised by government and council. This region should take the initiative and make it mandatory at no cost. If it saved one life then the cost incurred by the authorities would be worth it.
Gassing Station | Scotland | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff