What a waste!

[Monika]

Yesterday a young girl died and a lad is in a critical condition after their car left the road and went into the local Leeds-Liverpool Canal, one lad was saved. At the same spot, in very similar circumstances, two young girls lost their lives when their car overturned into the canal late at night and was not found until early morning, in spite of their parents searching for them frantically all night.
My two older grandsons in Skipton, in their early 20s, have now lost eleven friends, either in car crashes or on adventure holidays. What a waste of young lives!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Monika, there does seem to be more and more youngsters losing their lives, it's so tragic.
The loss of any life is hard to deal with, but a young life is even harder to come to terms with.

[Primrose]

Young lives lost are particularly tragic, especially when they have everything to live for, and so much potential still to achieve. It must be so devastating for their parents. The sad reality is that we are seeing more young drivers killed in accidents these days because more young people are now driving than was the case when I bought my first car many years ago. Perhaps we need a change of rules for young drivers, i.e. not allowed to drive more than 40 mph for 6 months after passing your test, or not to be driving unless accompanied by an adult after 10 p.m. I know these are not very practical suggestions, but cars are killing machines in unskilled hands and sadly some young people don't realise that their inexperience could cost their life. A while back I heard of a very sad case of parents who bought their son a brand new powerful car for his 18th birthday, shortly after he'd passed his driving test. Less than a week later he took some mates out for a spin in it, crashed it into a tree and was killed. Young men and motor cars sadly, often don't make a good combination. Monika, one can only hope that your grandsons have learned that motor cars can be dangerous, but it's sad for young men to lose so many friends in this way.

[Chris]

Hello Monica

It is, as you said such a tragic waste. I've been close enough to similar things to undrestand - people I know but fortunately not my close family. We look at the next generation with hope and always feel upset when even one of them doesn't get the chances that we have had. It is so so sad.

Thinking back I might have been one of the lost generation given the risks I took at the time - motorbike acidents and all - and feel lucky but now upset for all those other young people who are not here.

I like Skipton

Chris

Chris

[richard p]

i feel that we surround our children in cotton wool, health and safety rules, all risk of injury is removed from childhood so when teenagers are released into the wider world they have no in built ability to assess risk and realise the possible consequences of their actions, in the real world where there is no rewind button. they have been conditioned by the tv cartoons and computer games that are constantly allowing you to stuff up get splatted and then get up and start again.

[peacocks]

Young drivers, under 21 or whatever age you settle on, should not be allowed to carry passengers for the first year after passing their test. So often these youngsters are just showing off to their mates.

[Monika]

Many thanks for all your comments. Yes, Primrose, I think my grandsons are learning the lesson the hard way. In both the cases I mentioned, it was sheer inexperience, it seems, both drivers had only recently passed their tests and drink or drugs were not involved.

One of my grandsons was particularly good friends with one of the lasses who died last year and he often cycles to the spot, "to think", he says.

[Primrose]

One useful thing worth knowing which not all young drivers are made aware of is the national "Pass Plus" scheme which I believe is sponsored by the Driving Standards Agency. It's aimed mainly at young drivers who have just passed their Driving Test but who are very inexperienced, and it gives them extra tuition on driving on motorways, in difficult driving conditions, at night, etc. There is no further test to be passed but drivers are assessed on completing all the modules and once this has been done, most major insurance companies will give a substantial reduction on their insurance premium. Some young drivers or their parents may not relish the thought of paying for extra lessons, but when you consider that inexperience is often the cause of accidents or death, it is well worth paying for some extra skill. I still shiver when I think of one or two narrow scrapes I had as an inexperienced driver over 40 years ago - and there was a lot less traffic on the roads in those days. Anybody with teenage children wanting to drive might wish to check out: http://www.passplus.org.uk/about_pp.asp

[macmac]

Primrose further to your comments on restrictions for new drivers i completely agree that anything that could prevent the loss of even one life would be good however there are so many rules in place that are not sufficiently policed and are thus ineffective.For example the mobile phone ban my husband lost a colleague a couple of years ago who died driving ,while on her mobile,she was actually in her thirties so not a new driver.We constantly see drivers on the phone and my husband screams inwardly,we seem to feel the need to do so many things while driving,eating, drinking, smoking.Until we have roadside checks for such things , (which they do all the time around here to fine drivers for speeding and road tax evasion ,which i agree with) and don't just fine them take away their car/phone for 24 hours.....sorry i'm ranting

[Primrose]

Yes, I heartily agree about the use of mobile phones whilst driving. So many people think it's OK to flout this rule without considering the possible consequences. . The penalties are not strict enough. Being caught should involve loss of mobile phone and car for a month for the first offence, and permanent confiscation for a second offence. But motorists really arn't the only culprits. Every day one sees pedestrians walking along speaking into mobile phones and many of them are so concentrating on their conversations that they completely forget to Look Right and Look Left before stepping of the pavement into the road, I think we need a new law of "Walking without Care And Attention" - pedestrians can be just as guilty as motorists in causing accidents.

[jane E]

People think they can manage 2 things at once but another driver can tell if somone is on the phone just by their driving. I've followed cars up the motorway and known the driver is on the phone just by the way of their driving.

[Elaine]

I never answer my phone whilst driving and wouldn't dream of getting a hands free kit either. The tv advert where a woman is speaking to her husband while he is driving and then hears the crash and the line go quiet is very effective..at least to me. You see folks driving with their phone clamped to their ears every day and it chills me, especially when they are turning a corner at the same time! My husband is a HGV driver and the cabs are fitted with hands free kits but I still won't talk to him whilst he is driving. Concentration is the name of the game when driving any vehicle and especially so when it's 60' long.

[The Mouse]

It's not just car drivers who do this.
A few weeks ago I was on our local bus. It serves a very rural route, with narrow roads, blind bends and narrow canal bridges.
I was angry but not surprised when the driver started using his mobile phone. It wasn't a one off - on several trips I've made into town, the drivers have been on their phones briefly.
But this time the call went on ...and on...and on. We went through three villages with the driver holding the phone to his ear, leaving only one hand free for the steering (and for wiping his nose at one stage!). Although he drove quite slowly (unusual on this route!) he clipped the kerb in two places and had to slam on the brakes in another couple. He finally ended the call as I was getting off, some 20 minutes after it began.
First thing I did when I got home was track down the number of the bus company and put in a complaint. There was a real tragedy just waiting to happen

[Elaine]

Hi Caz. That must have been hairy. I was once in a taxi and the driver started a call on his mobile as soon as the car set off. After a couple of minutes I asked him to stop the car or finish his call. You should have seen the look he gave me...it's a wonder I didn't shrivel up on the spot. He actually argued about it, saying it was none of my (expletives deleted) business what he did in his own car! My response was (expletives deleted) that I didn't give a flying fig if he wanted to endanger his own life but I did care about everyone elses...especially mine while I was paying for the privilege. and he hadn't disconnected his call! I told him to stop the car and I got out. He demanded payment and I told him to whistle for it (or words to that effect!) When I got home (another taxi...it was daytime fortunately) I promptly rang the taxi firm and the manager was shocked. I got several free journeys and later heard from another driver that the obnoxious idiot no longer worked there. Nice one! Cheers,

[Elaine]

Sorry about those laughing emoticons at the start of my post.. they were supposed to be at the end and I don't know how that happened...your experience is certainly no laughing matter. Apologies for that.