It's clear that what is on most readers' minds this new year is teenager deaths on the road, better driver's education and what role parents should play in driver's education.
I've advocated that parents become the primary teachers, with extensive practice on our roads. I've also advocated raising the minimum age to get a license to 17, a proposal that a number of readers don't like.
Here is a sample of recent mail on the subject, with more coming next week.
Parental Oversight
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Sixteen years ago, we taught our first son to drive. We followed the same routine three years later with our second son. They both took driver's ed at school and completed the state-required number of hours at a commercial driving school, where most of their time was spent as a passenger.
We, however, took the responsibility for teaching our sons to drive.
We required them to drive 1,000 miles with us in the car before we let them take the required course and get their license.
They drove everywhere we went. (That was not always easy!) They drove in rain and snow, and they learned all the tricky spots in the Washington area. They learned how to merge onto the 14th Street bridge from the George Washington Memorial Parkway and how to navigate the numerous traffic circles in the District. We started in a parking lot for about an hour and then hit the road. When our sons took the required course, they received very little hands-on practice because the teachers felt they didn't need it. I disagreed because I think you can never have too much practice.
Increasing the license eligibility age to 18 is not a bad idea. Perhaps then more parents will know where their children are -- because they will have to drive them there. Nothing beats parental supervision.
Yes, teenagers can be trusted to often do the right thing. But they can also be trusted to do anything they can get away with. That's why they have parents. It is the parents' responsibility to see that what they get away with is age-appropriate.
Catherine Quinn
Falls Church
Good for you. I'm all for the extra parental involvement. Turning poorly trained 16-year-olds loose in an SUV is asking for heartbreak.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
The age limit on driving could be raised to 25, or new drivers could be given less powerful cars, but some children will still act irresponsibly and refuse to be accountable for their behavior. It isn't always the case, but in most instances you can probably trace this back to a lack of direct involvement by today's parents in the raising of their children.
Parents have become permissive and condescending to the children because they find it easier to be "pals" or "buddies." Responsible parents teach their kids the difference between right and wrong and what is expected of them when they are given the privilege of operating something as dangerous as an automobile.
