Car Accident

Today my daughter was involved in a car accident. She was turning left from a side street onto a major street. There was a car turning right from the major street onto the street that she was turning out of. As that car slowed down she thought that she could go. She did not realize that she did not have a good enough view of the second lane that she had to cross. As she crossed the second lane our Suburban was struck on the left rear by a '63 Ford Falcon. The Suburban was spun completely around and after spinning hit the Falcon on the drivers door. My daughter was scared but not hurt. The driver of the falcon had a bump on his head and a cut on his lip.

It is interesting to see how cars have changed over the years. The Falcon does not have anti-lock brakes, it does not have shoulder straps on the seat belts, it does not have airbags, and it does not have a padded steering wheel. It is also a much heavier car than a modern car of the same size. A driver in a lighter car with anti-lock brakes may have avoided the accident and if he didn't he at least would not have hit his head on the steering wheel.

There has been some talk in the news recently about raising the driving age to 18 because young drivers cause more accidents. My daughter is 18, however, she has only had her drivers license for about a month. I beleive that experience is much more important than age in the ability to drive safely. Also, a 16 year old is more likely to be supervised by their parents while they are gaining expereience. I do not think that the driving age should be raised to 18.