Any teenage drivers in your family?
Wouldn't hurt to talk with them about this subject.
Text Messaging May Be Factor in Fatal Teen Car Crash
Sunday , July 15, 2007
AP
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -
Text messages were sent and received on a 17-year-old driver's cell phone moments before the sport utility vehicle slammed head-on into a truck, killing her and four other recent high school graduates, police said.
Bailey Goodman was driving her friends to her parents' vacation home when her SUV, which had just passed a car, swerved back into oncoming traffic, hit a tractor-trailer and burst into flames. Five days earlier, the five teenagers had graduated together from high school in Fairport, a Rochester suburb.
Goodman's inexperience at the wheel; evidence she was driving above the speed limit at night on a winding, two-lane highway; and a succession of calls and text messages on her phone were cited Friday by Sheriff Phil Povero as possible factors in the June 28 crash in western New York.
"The records indicate her phone was in use," Povero said. "We will never be able to clearly state that she was the one doing the text messaging. ... We all certainly know that cell phones are a distraction and could be a contributing factor in this accident."
Several minutes before the first 911 call about the crash, Goodman talked briefly with a fellow graduate trailing her in another vehicle. Two minutes before the crash was reported, her phone was used to send a text greeting to a friend, Povero said.
He sent a reply less than a minute before the first 911 call, the sheriff added.
Routine tests ruled out alcohol as a factor in the 10 p.m. crash, and police don't suspect drug use was involved. Goodman had only a junior driver's license, making it illegal for her to be driving after 9 p.m. without supervision or to be carrying so many young passengers.
The victims, all 17 or 18, had been cheerleaders at Fairport High. In March, the team took first place in its category at a national competition in Orlando, Fla.
Text Messaging May Be Factor in Fatal Teen Car Crash
Sunday , July 15, 2007
AP
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -
Text messages were sent and received on a 17-year-old driver's cell phone moments before the sport utility vehicle slammed head-on into a truck, killing her and four other recent high school graduates, police said.
Bailey Goodman was driving her friends to her parents' vacation home when her SUV, which had just passed a car, swerved back into oncoming traffic, hit a tractor-trailer and burst into flames. Five days earlier, the five teenagers had graduated together from high school in Fairport, a Rochester suburb.
Goodman's inexperience at the wheel; evidence she was driving above the speed limit at night on a winding, two-lane highway; and a succession of calls and text messages on her phone were cited Friday by Sheriff Phil Povero as possible factors in the June 28 crash in western New York.
"The records indicate her phone was in use," Povero said. "We will never be able to clearly state that she was the one doing the text messaging. ... We all certainly know that cell phones are a distraction and could be a contributing factor in this accident."
Several minutes before the first 911 call about the crash, Goodman talked briefly with a fellow graduate trailing her in another vehicle. Two minutes before the crash was reported, her phone was used to send a text greeting to a friend, Povero said.
He sent a reply less than a minute before the first 911 call, the sheriff added.
Routine tests ruled out alcohol as a factor in the 10 p.m. crash, and police don't suspect drug use was involved. Goodman had only a junior driver's license, making it illegal for her to be driving after 9 p.m. without supervision or to be carrying so many young passengers.
The victims, all 17 or 18, had been cheerleaders at Fairport High. In March, the team took first place in its category at a national competition in Orlando, Fla.
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nope , and my kids not going to have a cell phone 0 -
I have two...Cell phone use of any kind is not allowed in the car. 0 -
I currently have one with a learners permit, that drives frequently and does pretty good. Extremely curvey roads here, and cell phones don't do all that well here anyway, so he don't have one. I believe out of all my children (two of which are grown) he will be the most careful. There are alottt of makeshift crosses along the roadsides here, many from "graduation night" fatalities, and I make it a point to occasioanlly point one out...and I think he gets the picture. 0 -
funny,
another article said that a trailing vehicle driver (part of the same group of students) thought that the van they were passing started to speed up (perhaps to prevent them from doing it). I've seen these self-proclaimed highway patrolmen in action. These jerks would create a dangerous situation in a heartbeat just to prevent someone from passing them.
Phone activity is not necessarily an indication of the driver using it. When I drive with friends/family I designate someone to be in charge of my commo so I can focus on not crashing into anything.0 -
i'm sure mine already knows this, he knows everything else[:D]
house rules: no cell phones while driving0 -
Nope! They have these commandments ...
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=252439&SearchTerms=10+commandments+of+driving0 -
Yep got one just about to start.When she gets back from Europe nex week is when she starts,frightens the life out of me.She is pretty sensible. 0 -
ive been out of teenage years for 3 years now, and it amazes me when im driving around how many stupid people are out there on the roads. People waiting an extra 5-10 seconds at a green light not paying a attention because theyre on the phone, people swerving over into my lane because theyre on the phone, people missing their turn and jumping over quickly all the way to the right right in front of me because theyre on the phone, what did people do before there was cell phones? The only distraction i have when driving would either be smoking a newport, or listening to the stereo. i know im an excellent driver, its everyone else, who "think" they have experience so they can drive crazy that are the bad drivers. 0 -
Yes I do. Her rectangular car is almost round. She has hit almost every thing around our driveway (house,tree,my work van ext.) thank goodness the wife keeps her car in the garage. 0 -
I have a 17 year old with a cell phone, and she takes her drivers test today. I have been using this accident to try and drive the point home to her. It still scares the hell out of me though.[B)]
Trinity +++0 -
You can make up all the rules you want but I have discoverd that they pretty much do as they please once they are out of your sight!
All you can do is raise them right, preach safe diving and pray that they survive the years 16-25. Once their little brains are fully developed and they discover they can be injured they start to get it! But they are pretty much fearless until they grow up.[:0][:0]0 -
quote:Originally posted by TrinityScrimshaw
I have a 17 year old with a cell phone, and she takes her drivers test today. I have been using this accident to try and drive the point home to her. It still scares the hell out of me though.[B)]
Trinity +++
Trinity,
Good to see some parents would rather confront their kids with the facts rather than just defend them with the old "my kid wouldn't do that". Like Sig said, they do exactly as they please as soon as they are out of sight. I'm sure this girl's parents never thought their daughter would do such of a thing.0
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