Quote:
Originally Posted by icila
There are both good points and inaccurate points being made here, I however cannot argue them, for my lazy self will not bother looking for a counter-action. That aside.
"Nothing irritates me more than driving through town and having some snot-nosed teenager driving like a tool riding my bumper and then flying around me like he’s on a drag-strip. But what’s more irritating is when these actions result in the deaths of said drivers and others around them because of their recklessness and – largely – their immaturity."
I am 18 years old and have been driving for almost 2 years now, in this area, "snot-nosed teenagers" do not tailgate or ride bumpers, especially in town. Nobody around here is stupid enough to tailgate in, or out of town, as well as surrounding towns. What you are saying is a generalization, if you surveyed the country, the only places where tailgating is high from teenagers are the street racing capitals. I personally do not know much about the race scene or its locations, the only things I know about street racing is the small amount I've done myself, and there are always precautions taken before, during, and after in order to keep the racers and other drivers safe on the road. I would finish this post however I have to go take a friend out of school due to illness....goodbye and thank you for your time...
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With all due respect to you, your word against my assertion, which is supported by the likes to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), carries less weight than the perception (which is usually correct) that teen drivers are significantly more likely to engage in dangerous driving, such as tailgating, than older drivers.
Much of this is associated to overconfidence in ability and a heavy right foot.
And it's not just teen drivers by themselves that are more likely to tailgate. According to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, "Teenage drivers—both males and females—were more likely to tailgate and exceed the speed limit if there was a teenage male passenger in the front seat." Additionally, the study indicates "In addition, female teen drivers were slightly more likely to tailgate if there was a female teen passenger in the vehicle with them."
I really do hate pulling the age card, because I have met teenagers who are more mature than many adults I have met in my life. However, when it comes to driving, I do believe that experience typically leads to better driving habits - we learn from our mistakes and realize driver etiquette the longer we are behind the wheel. I have been driving for 10 years. While that may not seem like a lot, it's still eight years of driving experience that I have over you and 10 years I have over most new drivers.
In that time, I've driven in many different states, been in many different driving situations and seen many different things, the likes of which you may not have even experienced yourself.
That doesn't mean I am an expert by any means. But, what it does mean - at least for me - is that I'm more likely to see the behavior that plagues teen drivers than you are, primarily because you ARE the demographic and I have been in and now am "outside looking in."
You also have to understand, I'm singling out the noticeably aggressive teen drivers that are being very obvious about their lack of interest in safe driving. In general, teen drivers are dangerous on the road, for all kinds of reasons. As you said, this is a generalization - which applies to most things in life. However, despite there being extremes (good teen drivers who exemplify safe driving and teen drivers who might as well sign their names to the statistics), the MAJORITY is what is being taken into consideration. That is, the majority of teen drivers represent a significant increase in motorists who are likely to drive dangerously - tailgating included.