Alot of jumping up and down at the moment about raising the driving age etc. Is it really a case of too young? or are the cars too powerful? or is it something else.

I think most guys would admit they have done those sorts of speeds in thier younger years, maybe even now and its maybe only a bit of luck that they havnt ended up suffering the same fate.

Should it be raised?

what other measures could be put in place also?


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Hi AJ
I dont think they should raise the age.  As you say, we have all done this at some time (well most of us) and yes we have been lucky.  I think the only thing that can be done is to educate these young people on the dangers and maybe show them footage with dramatic images of this accident and see if it scares the pants off them.  The cars today are getting faster & faster and unless they start put limitors on them, there is nothing much else we can do.  My 16 year old son just bought his first car (under my guidance) and he has a 1600cc Toyota Corolla that is capable of doing those speeds but he has told me that it took him 18 months to save up to buy it so he doesnt want to prang it.  I maybe naive to believe him but so far so good.

it was one of the worst crashes i have ever heard of. i have a 18 yr old sister and her boyfriend has lost his license already from being caught doing donuts and skids and things. i have already told him if anything happens to her in his car i will do not nice things to him....
my sister is not even interested in getting her license which i suppose is a good thing. about a month ago three of thier friends were in a crash on the way to an out of school class...one was killed and the other two were in hospital...it hit all the kids hard but a lot of them still boast about the skids and stuff they do, so raising the limit will make bugger all diff because alot of the kids are over 15 anyway.  we have a 16 yr old worker on our farm and since he started working for us 2 years ago he has had 3 cars...all of them cheap pieces of crap.   he kept getting caught with passengers on a learner license and now he is 1 demerit point away from losing his license.  we told him if he lost his license he would have to walk to get the cows and to work...lol. he is more careful now.  
i think the old phrase...boys will be boys applies a lot to these young drivers.

P.S.  AJ , ur avatar is very distracting when i'm trying to read your posts...lmao.

The kids today are only doing the same as what we/I did.  The difference is the cars are so much quicker.  We used to hoon around in the old Mk3 Zephyr or HQ Holden, and we used to raise the back up on blocks (god that made the handling bad) the car would sway from side to side.  Now days they lower them and they are so much quicker.  

Limiting the CC rating won't work.....   it's the horse power that needs limiting.

I think new drivers should go through a defensive driving course.

they had 6 people in the car, none wearing seatbelts, and speeding, its there own fault.

I dont think all young drivers should have to suffer from their stupidity, i know alot of young responsable drivers, alot of them dont want to wreck there car cos they saved for it themselves others are simply just not stupid.

well all know what speed can do, we all know seatbelts COULD save your life.


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Kids today think they are bullet proof. Its never been so and never will. The lack of respect for themselves and others was clearly demonstrated at the funeral for one of those that died. One of his mates doing wheelies behind the hearse? Come on really.

Yes I know, but I still think that most kids at 15 are not mature enough to get behind the wheel of a car.  I think back to when I was that age.......    way, way back.....    
no it's not that far back.  But looking at it now I'll admit it, I was to young.  But you couldn't tell me that then, at the time I could do anything.  
I have a teenager in the process of getting his drivers licence and it scares me.  I know he's sensible when Im around, but what is he like when im not there.  
When I saw this accident on TV news I made him sit with me and watch it, and we spoke about it and what caused it.  Things like speed and peer pressure.  I think I got through.
But it's so true that there is no manual on how to raise your kids.  

It's a very, very sad thing that's happened and my thoughts go out to the families and friends of those kids.

The cause of this accident just shows how kids today think they are above the law. Or dont bother with it anyway.
I dont know why the Ministry of Transport doesnt put a restriction on the power of a car these kids are allowed to have when they get their licenses just like they do with motorbikes.

The drivers in the Hawkes Bay is shocking full stop

When i was living there, it wasn't just the 'boy racers' that were lunitics on the road - everybody there speeds. One time my ex was complaining because the driver was doing 60k/h in a 50 zone - and that was too slow!! His parents are worse, and i swear to you i will never share the same car with a couple of my old flatmates ever again.

It's pointless for the councils there to go on about how careless the young drivers are, when the older ones are just as bad - even worse at times.
I've nearly been hit by a 'granny' who was speeding, when i was crossing the crossing, and that was because she was speeding that fast she nearly didn't stop in time!

Crashes that way are due to happen all the time, because people are careless with their driving.
And what is sad is that they have people in the car too - even their own kids.
It's always one careless and irresponcible git who can cause the most horrible crashes involving more than one vehicals.

Gee, my useless brother in law speeds cos he believes that other drivers should give way to him. He was driving with his learners, and got that taken off him.
So he drives around palmy, like he is on the speedway, with my sister and 4 month old niece in the car. He don't care, he doesn't want to try....

I've told him that if he wants to kill himself by speeding, thats fine - but with my sister and niece in the car, that is a diferent story. And if he crashes with him them in the car, he better hope that he is the one killed, because i can guarentee that it will be done for him if he survives


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