Re: Rebirth of old law

[Andrew Duane USG/PE <duane@zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made Trisha Bethen say:

> BEWARE!!!!!!  Any Audi owners under the age of 20 in NH.  They have just
> decided that effective immediately, they WILL enforce a very old law that
> never got removed from the books......
> Drivers, aged 20 and younger, getting caught, stopped, whatever for ANY
> motor vehicle violation will suffer an automatic 20 day license suspension
> on the spot.  No questions need be asked. 
> 
> If you ask me, our Live Free or Die motto isn't worth the ink used in the
> printing.  
> 
> Reasons for enforcement?  Too many vehicle deaths.....except, they haven't
> noticed the ages of those causing those deaths......ages 45 and
> up......gee, sounds like the cops are going to have a field day with the
> kids of NH.......

I agree that this law is S-tupid (with a capital-S), but have to provide
a little perspective on why it happened. I'll even throw in some Audi
content later.

There have been a very large number of teen deaths recently, including
6 in my town alone last year, one on my road. The southern tier of NH
(from Nashua to Exeter) is getting massively crowded, and a lot of teens
are driving there. Combine their total inexperience with their fearlessness,
and you have problems.  This law is an attempt to get some rationality
into their driving (trust me, they have none). Currently, if they get
stopped, they get a ticket which mommy and daddy pay. Take away their
license for a couple of weeks, and it'll hurt *them*.

I believe the real answer is to stop handing out licenses to every 16
year old like they were a god-given right. Wait until 18, and make them
EARN it with real driver's ed, and real tests. My neighbor is a 17
year old girl driving a 10 year old junk heap without adequate brakes,
tires, or structure like she was Mario Andretti's sister.


Now for the Audi content. My daughter is almost 12, and we're starting
to think about 4 years from now. She will get my 100Q as her first car.
Incredibly safe, well maintained, I will see to brakes and tires. And,
it won't do 0-60 in 7 seconds, so she can learn a little about driving
more concientiously.

-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corporation		(603)-881-1294
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's only 8.