What Can We Do To Protect Our Children?

By reenee, Santa Maria

Well, it hapened again. Three more teens are dead because the driver lost control of the speeding car they were in. It's only been a week since I wrote about the last horrific waste of lives. Just last December three boys died on Rice Ranch Road. The fourth boy miraculously escaped with minor injuries and a concussion.Then barely three weeks ago, on October 31st, two boys in Lompoc died in an accident that left the third boy in the car with major injuries that have required continued hospitalization. That's eight local teenagers in less than a year. The driver of this latest accident, is 18, and has been arrested for manslaughter and "hit and run" because immediately following the accident he got out of the car and ran away into a nearby field, trying to get away. Obviously he panicked. Panic is usually the first response of quite a few eighteen year olds, so this alone certainly should not condemn him. What the authorities do to him will be minor when compared to what his own psyche will do to him. He had four passengers, two girls and two boys. Three of those passengers died outright, and one of the girls is in critical condition. There's no word yet if he was driving under the influence.

This accident occurred at 8:30 in the morning, but that certainly does not eliminate the possibility of being impaired. It could have been that he was just simply going too fast for the conditions of the road. Isn't that one of the main driving rules? Could it have anything to do with the fact that the car was full of teenagers? Was he showing off? Was it a new car? Had he done this a hundred times before with no ill effects? Considering that three kids are now dead, does it really matter? Motor vehicle accidents remain the leading cause of death in youths from 16 to 20 years of age. What can be done? Stricter laws for teens? More hours of instruction? More emphasis on safety? Graphic films of accidents involving teen drivers? Will that make a difference? How many of us believe that any of the kids in that car on Saturday were thinking of the boys that died Halloween night, or last December? As I had mentioned when I last wrote, there are a few states that already have established laws to deal with teen drivers. However, since the laws are aimed at teens between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, the boy that was driving this past Saturday would not have been affected by those laws.

This is a small town. As a result tragedies like this always affect a lot of people. Therefore we will see another big story in the local newspaper. Our imported local columnist/romance novelist/color commentator will devote a column or two no doubt. We might even see the local city councils get involved with at least some commentary, if not a plaque, or proclamation of some sort. There's even a possibility that the Board of Supervisors will weigh in with their opinions. The television and newspaper reporters will probably interview the Chief of Police, along with some spokesman from the Motor Vehicles Department, perhaps even some teachers, all who will no doubt have have something important to say. Nearly everyone who's anybody or anyone who thinks they are, will have something to say. Like me, for example.

The problem with all of this is that no matter how well intentioned it is, it will not be enough. Words are simply words. Actions are needed. Something really big has to happen. Something significant that will have an impact on these young drivers. Something that will grab their attention and make them sit up and take note. Something really ugly. What happened Saturday is very ugly, but will it affect other young drivers? Will delaying their driving privileges be the answer? The nationwide movement to make Graduated Driver Licensing a law in every state is another possible solution. Is not getting their driver's license until they show a certain level of maturity the answer? While I understand that this might be difficult to measure, given the number of adults that have not yet become full fledged grownups, it is at least a thought worth entertaining.

Anyone who has ever spent time with teenagers knows that they go through a period of time when they cannot be told anything. They know it all. They're smarter than anyone else. They know what they're doing. Add to this, busy parents trying to make ends meet. Consequently, a lot of the teens that need to get the message, will not see it, nor will they hear it, at least not in the sense that it will have a lasting impact. Once the shock of a friend's death wears off, they will re-inhabit their bubble. They are after all, invincible. Weren't we all? Between the ages 14 to 16 they are trying to establish their independence while still very aware of their dependence. At times their attitudes suck and they seem impervious to any signs of parental control. They've not gone crazy, they're just teenagers being insufferable, which, if memory serves, is normal behavior for this age group. Reading James Windell's explanation should remind us all of how and why we were like this. The average teen will not realize that they didn't know it all until they get older, if they survive their driving. In order to get through to them, a message has to be dressed up in whatever appeals to them and the group they hang out with. High school kids are already dealing with so many pressures from every direction, that they will not respond to pussy footing around a subject. Something needs to grab their attention in a very big way. Teens live for driving privileges, so once again, will threatening this "rite of passage" be the answer?

Parents, teachers, school administrators, police, health care workers, and anyone else who wants to address this continuing problem in a positive manner, need significant input from the teenagers they are trying to reach. All of them. I don't mean just the National Honor Society students, or the "Stepford Children," I mean all of the students. Some adults need to get in touch with how they used to be at this age, and understand that these kids are not "Children of the Damned" or, "Children of the Corn". All kids can bring something positive to the discussion. Today's teens are very smart and much more sophisticated that we were. We might not like the attitudes they display, we might not like the language that they choose to express their opinions in, we might even detest how they dress, but all of these things are not at all significant in the scheme of things. We need to keep in mind what the real issue is: trying to keep kids educated enough so that they will remain safe behind the wheel, and alive long enough to finish growing up.

So how about beginning driver's education much earlier? It just might be that waiting for the high school years is already too late to begin the brainwashing. The sooner this education begins the better. Perhaps with more awareness, these children can grow into adulthood. This latest accident has robbed one local family of two sons. They join the sad circle of other families that have been equally devasted by this life altering tragedy. Eight dead teenagers in less than a year in our small area is totally unacceptable in a civilized society.