Report: Speed key factor in Wallingford teen crash deaths

[adam s]

"Show me one car on the streets today they cant reach a speed of 71 MPH, you cant"

---I can show you an electronic governor that would limit the car's top speed to 55mph. A great add-on for a new driver's car. I can also show you gps systems that will track the kids and their speeds. And lastly, I can show you defensive driving schools that will at least better their skills. Most cars will reach 71 with the exception of a rare few (85 Hyundai Excel comes to mind). But having a car that goes to 71, and having a car that goes to 71 in 5 seconds are two different fruits. My Jeep does 0-60 in like 13 seconds. The 350z does it in I think 5.3 Now why does a 16 year old need to be able to get to 60 in 5.3 seconds?

"let them come down to my next car wreck scene where the occupants head is 50' from his body,"

---That might be good for some teens. Other teens, being slightly retarded might think it's cool.

[Soothsayer]

Mary far away of Florida wrote:

What can we do? Make kids go to the crash site...show them the reality of it...first hand...

That wouldn't work with all kids. There was a motorcycle accident in 1994 in a New Haven County town. Both people on the bike, aged 17 and 21, were killed. It was later shown that one was drunk and the other coked up. It was not able to be determined who was driving. Anyway, once word of the accident was out, friends of the deceased started showing up at the accident scene while the investigation was still going on. They were distraught, crying, etc. The next week, those same friends had a party to honor those killed in the accident. What did they do at the party? They all got drunk! Kids think they are going to live forever.

[Jeb]

Raising the age to 18 means that parents lose the option to control the new driver's behavior. At 18 they are legal adults. And many will be away at college where their greatest influence is their peers as opposed to their parents!

How about laws that force the parents to be involved in the training process? How about the parents taking a test too? How about any driver under 18 needs a parent, guardian, or responsible mentor to pass a test or sign a mentor agreement when the teen takes their test?

Maybe then a parent would not buy a sports car for their 16 year old....

[sue sue sue]

Let's sue the town of Wallingford as the cause of our child's foolish decisions.....ridiculous!
A 4/17/2008 article from The Record-Journal states that the parents may sue town over fatal wreck due to "defective road" even though a 30 MPH speed limit was posted.
The accident was really caused by the driver who was traveling at 70 MPH on a road not intended to be used as a freeway.
I understand how it feels to lose a loved one, but a lawsuit like this is an insult to Wallingford taxpayers, medical personal, law enforcement officials and even the autombile manufacturer of the crashed vehicle.
Parents of the deceased, accept what happened, mourn, and use this life experience to teach others how to be responsible.

[mom]

sue sue sue wrote:

Let's sue the town of Wallingford as the cause of our child's foolish decisions.....ridiculous!
A 4/17/2008 article from The Record-Journal states that the parents may sue town over fatal wreck due to "defective road" even though a 30 MPH speed limit was posted.
The accident was really caused by the driver who was traveling at 70 MPH on a road not intended to be used as a freeway.
I understand how it feels to lose a loved one, but a lawsuit like this is an insult to Wallingford taxpayers, medical personal, law enforcement officials and even the autombile manufacturer of the crashed vehicle.
Parents of the deceased, accept what happened, mourn, and use this life experience to teach others how to be responsible.

I agree with you..this lawsuit is ridiculous. Its called denial, they are also projecting their blame off their child an onto the town. The fact is many many cars drive that road and its posted speed limit is what it is because of the type of road it is..similar problem in Waterbury where kids have been drag racing on Thomaston Ave for yeas, yet you still get idiots who blame the road for their accidents..I heard that one of teh Wolcott parents is blaming the other driver for her sons fatal errors...asinine...

[Wolcott]

How are we going to try to save a few lives and make a difference if our kids think that its not the fault of the reckless driver?
Accountability, consequences, responsibility..thats what we need to teach ..

[Teen spy]

adam s wrote:

"That's all well and good, but these driving school's are not cheap not everyone can afford to pay $500-$650 to attend. "
Pat: you say not everyone can afford to attend those schools, but the most recent accidents have been with cars like WRXs, 350z's, Mustangs and the like. If the parents can pony up $25,000 plus for a race car for their kids, they can afford the class how to drive the race cars.
"All cars should be manufactured to stay under 65. Also people who modify their cars to go faster than that should lose their license for good with a hefty fine."
Hugh: I disagree totally with that. Just because a teen can't handle the higher capabilities of a car doesn't mean the rest of us should suffer. We have places and times when it's reasonably safe to drive faster than the posted limits. Our highways are clogged enough without trying to bog everything down further with strict enforcements like that. Imagine having to leave an hour earlier and get home an hour later because of that, or deliveries being later. No, I think it is totally reasonable for governors to be put on teen's cars, but not the rest of us. Imagine buying a Porsche 911 that only went 65. Why would you bother? If you're going to suggest going that route, then I suggest a similar device to make drivers maintain the maximum speed limit allowed by law on all roads. I'm so tired of getting stuck behind old people going 15 on city streets and 40 on the highway.

please visit are web site www.teen-spy.org

[Cheryl]

If children she their parents speed, go through red lights, tailgate and bob in and out of traffic, why wouldn't all kids think its ok. Maybe the parents should check the way they drive before expecting children to do so

[Disgusted]

Cheryl wrote:

If children she their parents speed, go through red lights, tailgate and bob in and out of traffic, why wouldn't all kids think its ok. Maybe the parents should check the way they drive before expecting children to do so

Agreed!! I think that the new laws that are being passed where the parents have to go to the class for 2 hrs is great!! I also think that everyone should be retested every time their license is due to be renewed. Maybe if some of these crazy drivers don't get their license renewed, maybe there would be better drivers on the road. And the police also need to step up and start enforcing the laws.

[Karen]

Parents need to realize that they begin to teach their children to drive the first time they strap their children into a car seat. Children learn by watching their parents. Next time you drive to work in the monring notice how fast the cars are driving -- going 80 is the norm on the highways -- and notice how many of the drivers passing you are teenagers -- I don't see any on the morning highway commute -- it is the parents!! Speed is usually the cause of the fatal accidents -- you can survive an accident at a lower speed -- at a high speed you don't have much of a chance. We should add more police to the roads to enforce the speed limit and the penalty for speeding should be as stiff as it is for drunk driving -- only then will our roads be safer for everyone to drive.

[Ryan]

Hugh wrote:

I think not only the state should change some laws but what about the Fed. Is there any reason that cars should be able to do more than 65 mph, unless you drive in NASCAR. All cars should be manufactured to stay under 65. Also people who modify their cars to go faster than that should lose their license for good with a hefty fine. As far as I know the max speed limit in some parts of CT is 65, no need to go faster.

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. If a firefighter is responding to a call but can't go fast enough and someone dies that is ok? It should be harder to get a license so idiots can't drive but responsible people who want to save lives should be able to.

[Wolcott]

Ryan wrote:

<quoted text>
That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. If a firefighter is responding to a call but can't go fast enough and someone dies that is ok? It should be harder to get a license so idiots can't drive but responsible people who want to save lives should be able to.

FYI Ryan, most emergency vehicles are set by the manufacturer to not exceed 65mph. In the town of Wolcott that is the case. Emergency vehicles have the same responsibility on the roads as everyone else. They cannot just go flying through an intersection, they must stop at all intersections before proceeding and they actually have to stop for the school buses. There are rules and laws they must follow. There is no point in racing to a scene and putting others at risk. My husband is a career firefighter and has never driven excessively fast in the fire engine, if he did and there was an accident, he would be liable. So there you have it and your answer doesn't explain why PERSONAL vehicles need to go faster than 65-70mph..

[Brian]

There are reasons of safety that would require a car to be able to go past the speed limit, such as speeding through a dangerous situation to avoid getting into an accident. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that we should limit them, you dolt.