Another teen high speed multiple fatality.

[markd79ta]

This really seams to becoming more and more of a trend among the young drivers...racing, speeding, crashing, dieing!

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...983786,00.html

[aschroeger]

As cold as this may sound, the only people I greive for are the innocent victims... I have zero sympathy for the driver.

[markd79ta]

Originally posted by aschroeger
As cold as this may sound, the only people I greive for are the innocent victims... I have zero sympathy for the driver.

He will have his whole life to think about the people he killed.

[N20LT4Bird]

That really is horrible. As a teacher, I see it all the time. Nothing as severe as this, but I see kids getting into accidents all the time - speeding, doing stupid stuff. A while back, I had a student who brought in a video of him and his buddies jumping their (parents) car. THey must of been doing 80 mph whe nthey hit a dip in the road and get airborn. They thought it was cool and had no idea of the potential consequences.........their parents werent too happy after I called them to let them in on what their kids were up to.

You know who I see the most reckless driving out of? Kids who have parents that GAVE them a car. The kid in the article was 16 and driving a LEXUS. C'mon! THere are a ton of kids who have been given rocket ships from their parents......there are a lot of fast cars at the school where I work. Im makeing a generalization here, but the kids who worked for and built their own cars, drive them with responsibility. THose who were given their cars - drive like maniacs. So, a word of advice from an auto technology teacher who sees this all the time - DONT GIVE YOUR KID A CAR. Make him/her work for it - they will thank you in the long run.

[wolfdogs]

im sorry..but i cant believe that "weather" didnt contribute...my God.. foggy and wet! they said... and he's doin 90 in a 35.... but the investigation said "not a factor"...bull~!!!!!!!!!!

[Camaro4-2]

Thats saddening.

I dont want to sound like a prude or anything but I think our culture has been inflated with things that glorify bad judgement, or bad things. In this case things like "The Fast and the Furious", "Too fast, too furious", and games like "Need for Speed Underground" really brought the whole street racing subculture to the forefront. I cant go anywhere without puny cars revving at me and drivers driving completely irrisponsibly. These things have always gone on but ever since its been this new buzz in pop culture its been a prominent problem.

The more we see things the more our though processes are moulded to accept them. The same goes for all the cursing, sex, violence, and other things you see everywhere you go, on TV, billboards, magazines, movies, music. You think you aren't influenced by these things, but exposure at any degree is an influence.

[Camaro4-2]

Originally posted by wolfman
im sorry..but i cant believe that "weather" didnt contribute...my God.. foggy and wet! they said... and he's doin 90 in a 35.... but the investigation said "not a factor"...bull~!!!!!!!!!!

my thoughts... slick roads and fog are definitely a factor at high speeds

[markd79ta]

Originally posted by Camaro4-2
Thats saddening.

I dont want to sound like a prude or anything but I think our culture has been inflated with things that glorify bad judgement, or bad things. In this case things like "The Fast and the Furious", "Too fast, too furious", and games like "Need for Speed Underground" really brought the whole street racing subculture to the forefront. I cant go anywhere without puny cars revving at me and drivers driving completely irrisponsibly. These things have always gone on but ever since its been this new buzz in pop culture its been a prominent problem.

The more we see things the more our though processes are moulded to accept them. The same goes for all the cursing, sex, violence, and other things you see everywhere you go, on TV, billboards, magazines, movies, music. You think you aren't influenced by these things, but exposure at any degree is an influence.

I think you are right with the pop culture thing. It is certainly true with street racing. It is becoming a serious problem since it has been glorified in the entertainment media. There is a total lack of respect for bystanders on the road. And, honestly, all of the "kill" stories and such on this forum is also alarming to me.

Here is another article. Cracking down on this is becoming a huge priority. It is quickly becoming a buz word in the legislature which should make us all scared...so we, the car enthusiasts, better start becoming more responsible, or the alternative will be laws that hurt the responsible such as a whole new wave of laws against vehicle modifications. It will get ugly if we continue to operate our hot rods on the streets in an unsafe manner.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...363831,00.html

[lt1maro]

The way i see it, street racing has been around since my father and his 79 Z-28. He would tell me stories about his car and the local race spots and hang outs that still exsist today. The only difference is that the modern generation glorified street racing so much, that any kid with a civic feels like he is Paul Walker. This is evident by the fact that they will rev at our cars in any type of traffic situation in order to lure us into racing without regard to who is around. There is a saying that says with great power comes great responsibility. I have learned that this statement is true from owning a car as powerful as the F-body. That is why i believe that the real racers, be it street racing or not, like to find spots were as much as possible, innocent people will not be hurt. Also, ive noticed the same trend were kid who had their cars purchased by their parents tend to treat their cars like crap and act irresponsible. At the young age of 20 and as a poor college student, i cannot afford to redline my car every time and break things because i dont have the safety net of my parents. Just my 2 cents

[markd79ta]

I think the point is..."there is a time and place for everything..." This ain't it...semi-residential road in a residential community doing 90mph in a 35mph zone on a wet road in fog is beyond bad judgement. During my high-school days, the kids did race. There was an old abandoned road called the Old Denver Highway. Yes, there has always been a place, but it wasn't in somebody's neighborhood or on a busy city street. I think today's pop culture says..."anything goes." I think Camaro4-2 made a great point. Since the debut of the "Stupid and the Reckless", street racing has come to the forefront of pop culture. Too many kids (I know not all) are driving too fast and racing and driving too fast in anything they can get their hands on. My good friend from grad-school was first on scene from an accident caused by some dude who thought he was Mario Andretti in his Honda Civic during rush hour on I225 in Denver. He went airborne over the opposing lane of traffic off the road and into the weeds after doing several flips. My friend checked the non-pulse of a mangled mess the was once a young male in his early 20s. My friend then went into shock as she saw an empty car seat in what was left of the car. Fortunately, he didn't have his child that day, but his child no longer has a father. The races aren't in some secluded back area underground anymore...it is all around us and among us...city streets with traffic, and residential roads are fair game now. If a bell doesn't click that 90mph in a 35mph is probable death for somebody, then there is something seriously wrong in the minds of our young people. I am sure that this guys passengers were pushing him along to do this...it is crazy. But, something needs to change. I am still fuming about the two yahoos in their mid 20s doing 80mph passes in front of my house on their sport bikes...reckless behavior...plane and simple. Either the people will get a clue or the government will push it through a bunch of laws we don't like. The choice is ours.

[alenstein]

Well maybe we have been opressed by these 55 speed limits on major highways. What if we had autobahns, I think us the YOUNG crowd could safely let some of that build up energy loose.

[aschroeger]

Originally posted by alenstein
Well maybe we have been opressed by these 55 speed limits on major highways. What if we had autobahns, I think us the YOUNG crowd could safely let some of that build up energy loose.

That is what the track is for

[markd79ta]

Originally posted by alenstein
Well maybe we have been opressed by these 55 speed limits on major highways. What if we had autobahns, I think us the YOUNG crowd could safely let some of that build up energy loose.

I don't know about NY, but the states that I have lived in use 55mph speed limits on metro highways with higher speed limits in rural areas. It is 75mph on all rural interstate systems in Colorado. I don't think that a higher speed limit then 55 or 60 is feasible on metro highways regardless of construction. Yes the 55 national speed limit that I learned to drive under was awful. From what I remember, when I spent a month in Germany, the autobahns were rural highway systems not beltways in metro areas. Additionally, the drivers didn't abuse them. There was an occasional person moving at a pretty good clip, but the general driving behavior wasn't that much different then what you see out here. Unless things have changed, a German license requires a very expensive driving course to obtain the license and the driving age starts at eighteen. I would love to see this kind of system, but it requires the kind of responsibility that we just don't see in the frequent stories of bad judgement such as this one. Out west, we have miles and miles of highway that is loosely enforced. It is only on these roads that I will push my car and only in the absence of other traffic when the conditions are safe to do so. It is all about the judgement of when and where it is appropriate.

[Camaro4-2]

Originally posted by markd79ta
I don't know about NY, but the states that I have lived in use 55mph speed limits on metro highways with higher speed limits in rural areas. It is 75mph on all rural interstate systems in Colorado. I don't think that a higher speed limit then 55 or 60 is feasible on metro highways regardless of construction. Yes the 55 national speed limit that I learned to drive under was awful. From what I remember, when I spent a month in Germany, the autobahns were rural highway systems not beltways in metro areas. Additionally, the drivers didn't abuse them. There was an occasional person moving at a pretty good clip, but the general driving behavior wasn't that much different then what you see out here. Unless things have changed, a German license requires a very expensive driving course to obtain the license and the driving age starts at eighteen. I would love to see this kind of system, but it requires the kind of responsibility that we just don't see in the frequent stories of bad judgement such as this one. Out west, we have miles and miles of highway that is loosely enforced. It is only on these roads that I will push my car and only in the absence of other traffic when the conditions are safe to do so. It is all about the judgement of when and where it is appropriate.

Amen brother

[alenstein]

No tracks around here, the closest one is 2-3 hours away.