Can young people be 'good' drivers?

[LanSite]

Okay - I admit, I was reading a thread somewhere else ... a young person was talking about what a great driver they were ... (by young, I was under the impression - 16 yrs old or there about)... gave me pause, really ~ So many young people are bad drivers because of inexperience, which isn't to say all young people are bad drivers - just the majority of them ... I mean hey - your insurance is considerably higher for a reason, right?

[KLTdesigns5869]

CAN they? sure...
ARE they? no...

Most young drivers suffer(ed) from simple lack of experience as you mentioned, myself included. I recall being 16 I thought I was good, but in retrospect...no, I wasn't.
They all think they are at that age though, but anyone here that's older (+25, knowing the populus of this board) knows better now. Or should.
I'm still an enthusiastic driver, , but I know how to keep it under control too, and therein lies the difference that only maturity can effect.

[eggler]

I'm not a good driver, I can't park, I've got no judgement of distance. But I'm certainly a safer driver after a few years experience (read: had the occasional accident ). New drivers alway drive too close, too fast, too showy. They don't have the proper fear! (God I'm sounding old today)

And now I've gone and got a permit to learn to ride a motorbike. I'm going to do it properly this time though. Driving school and everything. (Learning to drive a car was my parents pointing me at the car and saying "now the clutch is on the left, and don't go on main roads until you've passed the driving test.." Something like that).

[Damaso]

I'm a young driver and very aggressive driver here in Florida, but I haven't gotten any kinds of tickets (yet). Lucky me

[vrumchev]

i dont know, i think that msot younger drivers want to go a little faster than usual, some get away with it, some dont. although experience plays a part, sometimes people have natural talents in driving as in many other thingsd, ie... flashing!!

[Canadaherp]

(im my grampas fileds) i got bored of trying to do all the tricks and all so i learn how to drive fast and god. well driving 60 miles an hour in a 1/2 ton through a herd of cattle teahces well, especially when the ground is all rough and its hard to control....... so anyways they changed the laws here, and even though i have enough experience (and i have drove about 800 KM, past 3 mounties from winnepeg to edmonton with my dad)i should be able to take some test, and all to prove if i would be an OK driver so i cna get my learners when im 14, now i hafta wait till im 16, and get my license at 18 ARRGGGGGG

[-LEVI-]

there's also the thing that many young driver's drive extrememly fast and aggressively. That's how most teenagers die at least here in Vancouver. I am a quite aggressive driver, but I rarely go faster than 60Km/h (ie freeway). I just get so frustrated when all these stupid ppl who can't drive just take up all the space in front of you and than just ...just stay there. Like when someone on the freeway is driving in the faster lane at 80Km/h (90Km/h limit).. that's just killer. little road ethics pliizzzz

[Hellsbellboy]

not only do they drive fast and more aggressive, they also seem to get distracted alot. not that "older" people don't, just they have experience and know what their limits are. I drive defensively, I know what's going on around me, keep a safe distance from other cars, use my signals, and drive to the conditions of the road. ie if it's a nice day I'll drive a bit faster, if it's snowing and the roads are covered I'll slow down and keep greater distance from others.

[phlegm_thrower]

i got stuck behind a couple of old nuns driving around 20 km/h in a 60 km/h zone... hell my granpa can park at that speed hehehe... so i zoomed past them and honked real loud... was i a bad driver?

i drove since i was 13 (illegally of course and NO I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT to anyone nor am i proud of it) and being young as i was, i had the occasional Need For Speed. by the time i was 16 I was living in Wellington, NZ where a lot of road there were narrow and they go up and down the hillside eg. going up to Mount Vic lookout, you should try it hehehe the adrenalin rush never knowing what's around the tight corner... fortunately i never had any accident to this very day... honestly...

so yeah i can say i was a good driver when i was 16 but that's only coz i had 3 extra years of driving experience. the fact that i haven't learned anything the hard way is coz im a calculating person... i don't take risk needlesly... unfortunately it doesn't apply to a lot of drivers out there...

[SeaWolf]

I won the indy 500.
Late

[phlegm_thrower]

good for ya wish i was that good

i don't like racing that much so at the time i just paid NZ rally champ Joe McAndrew (not famous but any rally follower from NZ should know) for some lessons... did u know that the way they brake and accelerate is different than normal driving?

[ThePatriot-F.Y.U.K.B]

You shouldnt be able to drive untill your 18 with atleast 3 years of assisted driving behind you.

[vrumchev]

OMG, 16000 posts that is incredible???!!!

[phlegm_thrower]

Originally posted by ThePatriot-F.Y.U.K.B
You shouldnt be able to drive untill your 18 with atleast 3 years of assisted driving behind you.

in NZ u can have licence when u're 15 (at the time) and i did have a driver assisting me and he was a pro

things u can do with money aaahhh... life's beautiful

[Snowfox]

Let me see ... working for a little over a year now, driving 100km daily ... make that about 30.000km in one year ... yeah, I guess I have some driving experience

And I have my driving license for 4,5 years now, no tickets, one tiny accident (hitting the car in front of you while driving at 2km/h isn't really an accident. My license plate has a small dent , that's all).

I guess I'm a good driver

[mave_the_rave]

All young drivers think they are cool.
No matter what old car they might drive..
That has never changed.

But to stay cool you need to stay alive.

So dismissing all the other idiots on the road.

You have to be a good young driver, if you want to
grow up to be a good old driver.

How deep is that.

[pimpjacksmack]

Okay so we know that there is a limit on how old you must be to "legally" drive... but how old is too old? I mean come on, younger drivers don't pay attention, but their reflexes HAVE to be quicker than grandma's.

[SJT]

Never had an accident, ever.

I can't drive, never learnt...maybe i'll do it this summer

[TallGuyLittleCar]

"i'm a good driver, definatly a good driver."


Nobody is a good driver until they have experienced an automobile at its limits. Learned how a car behaves at the limits of traction.

there's also alot to be said for experience. stupid irresponsible drivers do the same things over and over, you learn to look for it and see it.

[unrealreality]

not only do they drive fast and more aggressive, they also seem to get distracted alot. not that "older" people don't, just they have experience and know what their limits are.

What hellsbellboy said, however, now it seems everyone is distracted. cellphones, GPS system, tv's, etc. Quite honestly, I'm more freaked out about the older crowd (30+). Granted, people under 16 shouldn't be allowed to drive, but dammit people, everyone should pay attention to the road. If you need to conduct business, talk on the phone, etc, while driving that must mean that you're important. And if you're so f'ing important, get a driver.

Sorry if I come off flaming, but I'm 23. I consider myself a good driver. Sure i hit the gas a little, but not once have I done stupid stunts on the road to harm anyone's life. (what a stupid way to die if you think about it). It sucks though, cause I've been hit 4 times. 3 of them from behind. People who don't see 5 feet in front of them, not paying attention. And not young people either. My last accident totalled my car. 6 car pileup and I was the one in the front. (good thing is I get to collect heh..) Now I'm carless cause of some idiot that wanted to do business on the way to work. Loser.

I think both young and old should start realizing that they're driving a 2 ton weapon and should start respecting it as such.

/rant