What Type of Car Should I Buy My Teenager?

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The car above is a much nicer version of my first car.  When I received it from my parents, it was 15 years old and had 500,000 miles.  It was on its 5th engine.  Seat belts were not standard, I could not run the radio, head lights and windshield wipers at the same time.

Why do I tell you about this.  Here in the Raleigh area, a teenager was recently given a speeding ticket for 198 in a 55 zone.  Trust me, he was not driving a 1962 VW Karman Ghia.  He was driving a brand new Dodge Daytona Hellcat.  It begs the question, what were his parents thinking when then gave him a car that goes 200 MPH? 

I think parents have this inner debate of "Do I give my teenager an old car that does not go very fast or a new car that has all the current safety equipment"?  I think more times than not, parents go with the new car because we think we can control our children but we cannot control anyone else on the road so we put our children in a car that will protect them from everyone else even if it will not protect them from themselves.

I do not know if there is a correct response to this question.  I just think we need to be aware of the fact that we do not have as much control over our children as we think we do.

Yes, Passing Stopped School Bus is Serious

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Driver who killed 3 children at Indiana bus stop says she didn't see bus until it was too late.

 

The Indiana driver who police say plowed into four children at a bus stop, killing three of them, told authorities she didn't spot the school bus until it was too late.
Alyssa Shepherd, 24, was driving her pickup truck early on Tuesday morning when she struck a group of middle school students crossing the road to board their school bus.
Siblings Alivia Stahl, 9, and Xzavier and Mason Ingle, both 6, all died on the scene, while the fourth child, 11-year-old Maverik Lowe, suffered multiple broken bones and was airlifted to a hospital to undergo emergency surgery.
In a court hearing Wednesday, police disclosed what Shepherd, an eyewitness and the bus driver told them following the tragic accident, WTTV reports.

The female witness, who was driving behind Shepherd, estimated the suspect was driving around 45 mph at the time of the crash and said the bus was very visible, even though it was dark outside. The witness told police that she slowed down for the bus, but that Shepherd did not.
Shepherd reportedly told authorities that she was returning from driving her husband to work at the time of the accident and had three children in her truck at the time, including her little brother. She acknowledged she saw "something" with lights on the side of the road, but claimed she didn't recognize it was a school bus until it was too late to stop.
The bus driver told police he spotted Shepherd's truck and, believing it was a good distance away, he waved the children across the highway, according to WTTV. He said once he realized the truck was not slowing down, he honked his horn to try and signal the children to turn back.
According to authorities, the school bus followed proper protocol and had its stop-arm out at the time of the accident. All 50 states have laws that prohibit drivers from passing school buses when they are stopped and have their flashing lights on.
Shepherd was arrested following the crash and was charged with three counts of reckless homicide and one count of passing a school bus when arm signal device is extended, causing bodily injury. She has been released from jail on a $15,000 bond and will appear in court on Nov. 13, WSBT reports.

Speed Kills Young Drivers

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More examples of teens being killed on our roads due to high speeds.

Raleigh, N.C. — The Cardinal Gibbons High School student who died when her car ran off Possum Track Road and struck several trees earlier this week was traveling 95 mph, according to troopers.
Madeline Grace Shook, 16, of Raleigh, was traveling north on Possum Track Road, in northern Wake County, when she crashed while traveling approximately 95 mph in a 45 mph zone. She died at the scene. She was the only occupant in the vehicle.
Shook was on the school's track team and is remembered by teammates as a bright light, a go-getter and a voice of reassurance.
"She just was always encouraging us to do our best and to run to our full potential," Marianne Bahna said.
Cardinal Gibbons Principal Jason Curtis said he remembers Shook as a smart student and competitive athlete.
“As an educator, how can I best care for them and love them and support them just as their parents have asked us to,” Curtis said of grieving students. “What goes through my head is we, the adults, need to model for them the appropriate response.