SUVs Too Much for Teenagers?

[johnnymk]

...A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says SUVs may be too much car for teenage drivers. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, 49 people between the ages of 15 and 20 died in sport utility vehicle and pickup truck accidents in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, last year. Researchers at the NHTSA say the problem is the vehicles -- specifically, SUVs -- have a higher center of gravity and are harder to control in an emergency. Researchers also say recent improvements to SUVs are less likely to help the situation because most teens drive older-model SUVs. Julie Rochman, a spokesperson with the American Insurance Association, says teens should drive a vehicle that is forgiving to compensate for inexperience. She says young drivers are very attracted to SUVs, but what they want to drive may not be the best vehicle for them to drive.

[kimchicowboy]

well, i did start off driving in a minivan and i came out without a scratch. wish i could say the same about the car though. hahha.

[Yossarian]

i can see how that would happen. with a higher center of gravity and(for the most part) having a smaller wheel base, its easier to roll. that and kids think the know everything and are fearless, so they drive like that

[TERRIBLETOM]

They should all start out driving a beater...

[Maarchk]

That would be a good law... To make people start with shorter cars, or slower cars... But all the golden children would cry that they couldn't drive the suv that their parents bought them at 14...

[WhiskeyPapa]

Yeah, we don't have enough laws.

[DarkFury]

Teens generally can't afford to put gas in 'em... so yeah... they shoudn't be driving them :hihi:

[gwilks98]

well, i did start off driving in a minivan and i came out without a scratch. wish i could say the same about the car though. hahha.

Are you suggesting a minivan is the same thing as an SUV? (Are you refuting or agreeing?)


I drove a minivan for 2 years and thought it was the perfect car for those new driving years. I had plenty of visibility, I could be seen by other cars, and the dash shook like crazy if I tried to take it over 72mph.

[Yossarian]

and the dash shook like crazy if I tried to take it over 72mph.

anything more than 13 years old is almost guarunteed to do that

[SecretIkon]

shows that teenagers from the age 15 and 20 should be driving small cars. and not SUVs.

[gear02]

yeah even though they may be "safer" driving an SUV, they should just drive any old car they can get. I feel like most, if not all, SUV drivers drive extremely recklessly as if they own the road and all cars have to yield to their uber large gas guzzling frame. To have teens, who are hormone-unbalanced already, have such a thought would probably cause more accidents. Even though the SUVs might take more punishment, they would probably cause more damage to others.

[Memo]

Uh...how many died in non SUV/Trucks? Without that, I don't think they really make a case for SUVs being worse for teens.

[BrewMaster]

good point Memo.

regardless what kind of car it is, i think every kid should start out with a beater. how else are they going to learn about car care and repair? give them the keys and a roll of duct tape and wish them luck.

[bachviet]

That's why teens should only drive Pintos! :D

[sizemic1]

They should all start out driving a beater...
:stupid:

My kids are gonna drive a 1985 volvo diesel wagon and like it.

[ski]

Are you suggesting a minivan is the same thing as an SUV? (Are you refuting or agreeing?)

Hopefully not agreeing. Minivans aren't on truck platforms. They have a longer wheel base and and a lower center of gravity than SUVs. And more storage room that midsize SUVs :thumbup:

[kimchicowboy]

i was trying to make the correlation that both an SUV or minivan is "too much car" but i did fine in mine. heheh.

[Bires]

Started on a Volvo station wagon...(that'll teach 'em to parallel park!)...been driving coupes ever since.

Even if teens drove smaller or slower cars, they would still drive dangerously, but they would kill less other people.


My kids are gonna drive a 1985 volvo diesel wagon and like it.

Yup...that's the one...only mine was a DL (not diesel)

[PowerTech83]

I think they should learn not to drive recklessly. Whatever they drive, if they drive recklessly, it's dangerous to other drivers/pedestrians. I think we should all elimate the thoughts of SUV being the "safer" vehicle, and it's a "utility" vehicle.. not a racer.

[Memo]

People need to eliminate the idea that SUVs are these terrible vehicles. Kids acting a fool in ANY ****ing car are going to kill someone.

[Kim]

My only thing with a teen driving an SUV is that they could fill it up with 7 friends, and I think that would be a bigger problem (distraction wise) than the actual vehicle.

I have to disagree with the idea that SUV drivers are less careful. I zip in and out of traffic a lot more in my little car than I ever did in the Jeeps or Durango. (not that I am a bad driver in any vehicle, I'm very careful always)

[Bires]

Mildly amusing burning SUV story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6797211/


...You think you’re invincible when you’re behind the steering wheel of an SUV but you’re not. I’m OK but you can imagine I’m still in shock.”

[Svyn]

People need to eliminate the idea that SUVs are these terrible vehicles. Kids acting a fool in ANY ****ing car are going to kill someone.

Agreed, I think a contributing factor to this problem is that youth these days get handed a car by their parents that is out of their skill league this early in the game. Also the parents do not spend enough time with their kids making them learn what you can and can't do with their vehicle. There are kids out there worthy of driving a high-end sports car when they turn of age, I am not saying there is not. I am guessing at least 90% of the youth that get their drivers license still need more guidance, I did. I made plenty of mistakes when I had my first car, luckily nothing critical, no accidents, just learning experiences that did not hurt anyone. I drove things from a new f-250, to a Lincoln town car, to my first vehicle, which was an 89 Mercury tracer, and different vehicles in-between. I had experience before I got my license with multiple devices from my bicycle, a go-cart, to dirt bikes, to a tractor (you laugh! it builds skill, understanding, and respect).

I believe it is like getting your first bike, you start out with something that you can learn on (1-speed, rotate your feed backwards on the pedal there’s your brake!) to a multi-speed bike with more things to worry about, shifting gears, brakes are on the handles, which one is front and rear, etc. I know plenty of people who start out on a multi-speed bike, and do excellent just as well as someone starting out on a 1 speed bike. Some people have the respect and understanding of multiple functions at once, while others it takes more time to accomplish the same goal. Anyone can be dangerous in any type of vehicle.

[palayah8ta]

Thats why god made the 93 Toyota Trecel's!!!!

[bachviet]

Thats why god made the 93 Toyota Trecel's!!!!
The Pinto is a better answer! :dead:

[palayah8ta]

The Pinto is a better answer! :dead:
Well u want your son/daughter to have the most basic car, no luxury AT all. plus there very reliable so they dont have to worry. You dont want your kid to DIEE!!!!!!

[Jane83]

ive been driving a SUV since i was 14...
and insurance isnt cheap

[wung]

:stupid:

My kids are gonna drive a 1985 volvo diesel wagon and like it.

and if they don't? call Xzibit . . .

[ray]

I don't necessarily agree that an SUV is too much car for a teenager. I think that responsibility and guidance start with the parents, not the type of vehicle a kid drives. I also think that the legal age for driving should be raised to 18 years old on a federal level. For those of you who drive in California, how often do you see some dumbass 16 year old kid behind the wheel of some expensive car (not necessarily an SUV) pulled over on the highway because they got into some multicar accident?

I witnessed an accident over on Ventura Blvd and Coldwater Cyn in Studio City about 6 months ago. One teenage girl was driving a BMW, the other teenage girl was driving a Benz. Both were talking on their cell phones and both ran the red lights and hit head on in the middle of the intersection. Fortunately no other cars or pedestrians were near the accident. Needless to say, the girls shouldn't have been driving while talking on their cell phones and something like this would never have happened had they gotten more practice behind the wheel instead of just being handed a $60K death trap that is a hazard to both themselves and other drivers.

I will be first to admit that I wasn't a great driver when I first got my license, but my parents and driving instructor taught me to be more defensive than anything else and that has brought me a long way. I may drive like granny as many will say, but I have zero stops, zero tickets, zero anything on my record. The only thing that has tarnished my record is the 1 hit-and-run that happened to my car at my old apartment's garage.

I am not a fan of large SUVs and I am certainly not a fan of teenagers behind the wheels of any SUV, but you can't really blame it on the car. I blame it on the training and guidance.