Australian Holiday Safety Message

[Brevet05]

A friend sent me the link to this public service announcement. Be advised that the TAC pulled no punches in getting their message across, but it is such a timely and important message that I wanted to share.

Be safe out there; there's a bunch of you I haven't met yet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8

Sorry if you've already seen it, but Merry Christmas, anyway!

[RTGENE]

That was frightening and disgusting-----I watched it to the very end-----and sent it along to my friends.
Thank You

[SpyderWolf]

Very straight to the point. Thanks for sharing that with us.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well.

[rogerb]

:agree: Pretty pictures do not impress young people.

[CyncySpyder]

Gave me chills watching it. One of my past friends was a driver who killed her best friend who was a passenger in her car. The emotional toll that it has taken on her life is unconscionable. Taught me a valuable lesson to say the least.

Thank you for sharing this & Happy Safe Holidays to All:joke:

[Yazz]

Tell you what, having a loved one die unexpectedly around the holidays really does a bad head case.

Have been sending love and prayers to a friend and his family all day today...

Brevet, your timing is impeccable.

[Firefly]

No wonder they have so many accidents--- they're driving on the wrong side of the road! :roflblack:

Good commercial and gets the point across, BUT - they can't take all the credit for the lower number of deaths - vehicle safety has increased at an amazing pace over the last 20 years - which is probably one of (if not the) biggest contributing factors to lower traffic deaths.:thumbup:

I lost a step-son in a car accident when he was 16. Car was being driven by a friend - him and his buddies out driving. No drinking -- but the driver was known to drive fast and wild-- to the point we had told both kids they could NOT ride with him anymore. Our son wasn't wearing his seatbelt either - another thing we had just recently talked to him about.

Michigan now has a law that 16 year olds can't drive with a bunch of kids in their car -- I think the limit is one. I think this is a good law as new drivers just are not experienced enough drivers to have the lives of other passengers in their hands.

We just had an accident not to far from our city where the 16 year old driver was driving his two younger brothers to school ( 11 and 8 I think). It was our first really icy road day -- the SUV rolled and went into a pond - killing the younger brother.

What in the world was this parent thinking allowing such a young, inexperienced driver take the kids to school -- especially in bad road conditions? :gaah:

[Brevet05]

No wonder they have so many accidents--- they're driving on the wrong side of the road! :roflblack:

Michigan now has a law that 16 year olds can't drive with a bunch of kids in their car -- I think the limit is one. I think this is a good law as new drivers just are not experienced enough drivers to have the lives of other passengers in their hands.

We just had an accident not to far from our city where the 16 year old driver was driving his two younger brothers to school ( 11 and 8 I think). It was our first really icy road day -- the SUV rolled and went into a pond - killing the younger brother.

What in the world was this parent thinking allowing such a young, inexperienced driver take the kids to school -- especially in bad road conditions? :gaah:

I'm with ya on the inexperienced driver thing, and I'm sorry for the loss of your son. My older girls learned to drive while we were in Texas, so I'm still really hesitant to put them behind the wheel when the roads are icy. I wish there was a safer way to do that, as they'll need the skill.

According to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association:
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds.
16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.
16-year-olds are 3 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
2,739 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008, down 13.7% from 3,174 in 2007 and down 20.2% from 3,431 in 1998.
About 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 were males (IIHS (http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2008/teenagers.html)).
Drivers ages 15-20 accounted for 12% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2008 and 14% of all drivers involved in police-reported crashes.
63% of teenage passenger deaths in 2008 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 19% occurred when a teenager was driving (IIHS (http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2008/teenagers.html)).
81% of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2008 were passenger vehicle occupants.
The number of drivers ages 15-20 involved in fatal crashes totaled 5,864 in 2008, down 16% from 6,982 in 2007 and down 26% from 7,987 in 1998.
In 2006 (latest data available) crashes involving 15- to 17-year-olds cost more than $34 billion nationwide in medical treatment, property damage and other costs, according to an AAA analysis (http://aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=7&ArticleID=601).
:dontknow:

[Firefly]

Interesting info-- and not surprising.

As far as your daughters go-- I would take them out to a large parking lot when it snows or gets icy and let them practice while you give them advice. It's even good for us older drivers to get a feel for the ice again that way.