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How Old Were You

2.2K views 59 replies 58 participants last post by  libman  
#1 ·
When you got your drivers license? How many accidents have you been involved in and were they your fault? How old were you when you had your accident/s? Is 16 too young to get a drivers license? Is drivers ed all the driving educational we need?

I'll go first...
Never took drivers ed so I had to wait until I was 18 to get my drivers license.
First accident (age 43) rear ended sitting at a traffic light (not my fault)
Second accident (age 47) spun car off road (my fault).
 
#2 ·
No drivers ed.
Got my licence about a month after turning 16.
Totalled my first car ('84 Escort) three months later. (My fault)
Rear ended some idiot that stopped on a highway onramp when I was 19. (My fault)
Hit someone's car in the frozen work parking lot in my early 20's. (My fault)
Got my motorcycle license shortly after turning 18.
Almost killed myslef on said motorcycle when I was 21. (My fault)

Its not the drivers education that's a problem. Its the testing. At least in my state (PA), the drivers license test is a complete joke. Make the testing more difficult (by a factor of 10), and better drivers education will follow.

Interesting article from Motor Trend
It's a daunting challenge--and the consequences of doing it wrong are enormous. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 82 percent of accidents involving 16-year-old drivers are caused by inexperience and risk-taking. Indeed, drivers at 16 are more likely to get involved in an accident than at any other time in their lives. And teenagers are more than four times as likely to be involved in serious or fatal accidents than adults over 30. Not surprisingly, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans under 20......

The experience of Greta, a German college student, is typical. Greta couldn't even begin driver training until she turned 18. She then had to attend 14 one-hour classes on the theory of driving, followed by professional instruction that included driving at night, on autobahns, in traffic, and in bad weather. Finally, after roughly eight months of lessons that cost her parents more than $1500, Greta was deemed ready for the 45-minute driving test (she passed). No wonder drivers of all ages in Germany have much less risk of being involved in a serious accident than their U.S. counterparts--this despite Germany's notorious traffic and the high speeds encountered on many autobahns.
 
#4 ·
Driver's Ed was never offered at my school. I failed on my first attempt to get my license when I was 16, because I didn't know what a 3 point turn was. I succeeded a week later. So far, I have never been in any wrecks or fender benders. I have had too many tickets to remember and my license has been suspended 3 times for having too many points on my driving record. Twice for 3 months, and once for 6 months. All speeding, except for 1 ticket doing a 'rolling stop' at a stop sign and 1 reckless driving for doing 25 in a 20 in my subdivision. This ******* cop that had it out for me gave the reckless driving ticket. I got a lawyer and carried that ticket out for over a year. The cop never showed up, but they still convicted me.
 
#5 ·
Received driver license at age 16.

[Age 16] Totaled 77 Chevy truck after driving across open field and hit hidden stump. Took out entire underside of truck. My Fault (obviously)

[Age 17] Head-on collision when other car crossed over yellow line. Totaled my 92 Chevy truck. Not My Fault.

[Age 18] I was rear-ended by someone at stoplight in my 97 Ford Ranger. Not My Fault.

[Age 22] Side swiped gaurd rail with my 99 Ford Ranger (I was drunk). My Fault.

I think that is it.

Oh yeah, ticket....I had more than 15 before I was even 18 years old. They were all speeding! I think I even had one where I got pulled over for doing 140mph...I was lucky and the cop wrote it for 75mph in a 45mph. Yes I was going 140mph in a 45mph zone!



.
 
#6 ·
Took the test at 15 in high school, picked up my license on my 16th birthday at the DMV.

Had about five accidents before I was out of college, mostly single car, mostly my fault. Call it ambition colliding with lack of skill and common sense.

I had 11 tickets before I met my wife; in the almost 10 years since I've had one (a couple months ago, in the minivan, and it was a joke).
 
#7 ·
15.5 for permit, 16 when I got my license.

Accident #1: Sideswiped a guy as I was pulling away from the curb. My fault
#2: Sideswiped and run over the curb by a delivery truck. Not my fault.
#3: Rear-ended at a stop light. Not my fault.
#4: Sideswiped (the other side) by an idiot Boston driver trying to pass me on the right (only one lane here folks) as I was making a right turn!! Not my fault. And I obviously still harbor evil-thoughts against that driver.

#2,3, and 4 were all in the Focus. Good thing I was planning to drive it 'til it died, I'd never be able to sell this thing.
 
#8 ·
Got my license about 2.5 months after 16th Birthday....

accidents:

In '98 I spun out taking an offramp at the last minute... solo incident... nobody hurt $5k in damage.

In Sept '02, an errant tire off a trailer flew through the air and smacked me in the windhshield and a-pillar.

In Jan '03, a woman turned left in front of me and scratched the bumper

Tickets: About 4 speeding tickets cumulative... and one for that accident on the offramp for "failure to control"
 
#9 ·
When you got your drivers license?: 18

How many accidents have you been involved in and were they your fault? : 0, 0

How old were you when you had your accident/s?: N/A

Is 16 too young to get a drivers license?: YES

Is drivers ed all the driving educational we need?: NO
 
#11 ·
Drivers Ed (more like slack ed) in HS
Driving Instruction to get permit at 16.
Lisence at 17 (first shot at test, piece of cake)
0 accidents (knocks on virtual wood)
Currently 25.

We definately need better driving instruction, with emphasis on assertive driving and emergancy handling. Also, testing needs to be more frequent.
 
#12 ·
I got my license when I was 17. I took Driver's Ed for cheaper insurance AFTER I got my license. The instructor was very good, and far better than the DMV testing, which was a joke. I literally drove "around the block" on my drive test.

I've had five minor "incidents", none of which resulted in a totalled vehicle or points on record or insurance. All of which were based on irresponsibility rather than incompetence.
 
#13 ·
I was 23 years old!!!!!! Hahahahahaha!

The reason it took me so long was I didn't have a car or access to one until I was 23.

In Utah you have to take some sort of driver's ed. I took mine at some dude's house with a bunch of 15 1/2 year old girls. The driving tests with them scared the hell outta me.

Been in one accident, not my fault, the U-haul trailer I was towing disconnected from the hitch and flipped six times, destroying everything I owned and bending up the rear end of my classic 69 Ford Fairlane.

Suffice to say my insurance didn't cover anything, nor did U-haul's.
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#14 ·
Got my license at 16, drivers ed wasn't offered at my school, had to go to go to Wally's School of Driving or something like that, heh. One accident, got mildly rear ended in my old Contour, not my fault. Only had 2 speeding tickets, both after I turned 18...they were a month apart and got them on the same 1/4mi stretch of road, doh. Last 3 times I've gotten pulled over (52 in a 35, running an "orange" light, and expired tags) I've gotten warnings, woohoo!

I don't think 16 is too young...but we need a system more like Germany's, driving is a privilage not a right after all, at least I think so.
 
#15 ·
When I was living in Alberta, I received my Learners license @ 14
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Moved to Ontario, got my learners at 16. In Ontario you have to have wait a full year with your learners before you get your full license (take a drivers ed course and you can reduce that to 8 months) I took the course and had my full license at 17.

1st accident: Wrote off an RX7. Drunk Driver T-boned me.
2nd accident: My CRX was rear ended. Again, not at fault.
 
#16 ·
I was 15 when I got my learners permit
16 with a full-blown license.

1st accident: I wasn't in the car (it was parked) – icy day in MN a full-size Blazer plows into my ’92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV: $3,500 worth of damage

2nd accident: I backed into my buddy's Ford Temps: $350 worth of body damage.

When I bought my 1999 Sentra, I was rearended three times within three months.

I've never had a "my fault" accident and never had a speeding ticket. (knocks on wood)
 
#17 ·
Got my license about 6 months after my 16th. Had no drivers ed, just a permit at 15.

One ticket, for running a yellow about 10 years ago. No speeding tickets (knocks on wood)

One accident in my old 77 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup. Got rear ended when waiting for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Guy hit me in my rear bumper with his grill. Needless to say, the bumper won.

I too think that 16 is too young for a license. But I've also seen 18+ year olds that shouldn't be anywhere near the drivers seat of a car either. Unfortunetly, I don't have a solution for it either.
 
#18 ·
took driver's ed, got license at 17 (i wasn't too excited about the 89 Taurus wagon)

-no at fault accidents with other vehicles or property.

-hit deer when i was 21.

-slid into the curb once in the snow, age 23.

-slid into the corner of a bridge once coming out of a turn in the rain, no damage to car.

-Moving violations= passing in turning lane when i was 18; speeding ticket when i was 20; speeding ticket when i was 21

basically, i am extremely conservative and aware of my surroundings when there are other drivers around, but during spirited driving with nobody else around i sometimes might travel a little too fast for conditions and have a small booboo or get pulled over
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#19 ·
I got my learners on my b-day...
took drivers ed......
got licence on b-day
hit first car(tbone style) in my 89 eagle premier(my fault)
got read ended in the bonner power(pontiac bonneville)
Crashed Focus number 1
Focus number 2 got hit on highway
Ford ecxplorer got pantsed by bitch in a pathfinder
The first two where when i was 16-17
the middle at 18
and the last two were mmmm within a month of now.

I have bad luck people enjoy hitting me! its not cool.
 
#20 ·
Got my license at 18, and I have had one accident, but it was a no-fault accident.

As far as tickets go, let me just say that my advice to anybody that comes through hanahan, SC at any point in their life should make sure that they keep thir car a mile below the speed limit, because they have radar, and will use it to ticket you. I got tickets for going 4-6 miles over the limit in 4 consecutive months!!!

So, now I have 8 points on my license that i'm wanting to get cleared off, but weill just have to play the waiting game...
 
#21 ·
Took 6 month high school drivers ED course, every lunch break for a semester. 20 hours behind the wheel next to my driveing instructor who always farted in the car. It was rediculous.

Got my license as soon as possible when I turned 16, first appointment available.

First accident age 18, rear ended in freeway traffic by a suburban doing about 80

Second accident age 22, 5 mph collision in a sheer ice dealership parking lot with a Silverado. Neither of us could steer, stop or sccelerate, it was just too slippery. We were both held at fault.

Third accident, cut off by an idiot and had to take a lane full of slush. ended up in the ditch but avoided a rollover despite entering the ditch in the middle of a 360 degree spin.

16 is not too young to get you license. I
 
#22 ·
16 and a couple months when i got my license. Took driver's ed and was told that i was a natural driver.

had one accident, 17 years old, pouring rain -- hydroplaned in a pickup on an offramp and overcompensated, kicked the ass end out, and kissed a jersey barrier. no one was hurt, and it was my fault.
that's my only accident that was my fault. was rear ended this winter in the snow sitting at a light... tried to move up but there was an SUV in front of me, and the girl who hit me needed .... more room than i could give her.



driver's ed is fine for getting people familiar with vehicles, but there needs to be more, imo.
 
#23 ·
17- Drivers Ed
19- 65 in 45
21- 60 in 50 (I was 100ft from entering the 60 zone)
22- 35 in 30 (residential neighborhood)
22- Accident - doing 110 down I-35 in the far left lane, crossed 3 lanes to exit and the dumb lady on the offramp was doing about 30. Slammed on the brakes and locked up the tires. Smoke was everywhere. Hit here at about 40mph. Scratched the paint on her bumper. Bent the corner of my fender, scratched my hid's, and scratched my bumper. She called the cops and I went to jail for having a warrant for an unpaid speeding ticket when i was 21. Worst 8 hours of my life.

PAY YOUR SPEEDING TICKETS!!!
 
#24 ·
Two weeks after turning 16 I got my license (only because I got my temps late)

17 - tapped my cousin's mustang going literally 5mph (replaced bumper cover - $100)

17 - Speeding Ticket going 85 in a 60 - $125

Currently 20... that's all I've had so far...
 
#26 ·
Drivers Ed @ 15
DL @ 16
Backed into by muscle car @ 17
Skidded on ice and ran into some lady that stopped short @ 17
(she bitched about me hitting here with her kid in the car, her kid was standing up in the seat)
Rear ended by a nice(was) 280Z, that was shoved into me by an old man driving a Chevy truck @ about 2
(took forever for that man to report the accident to his insurance company)
Rear ended a lady in a Caprice @about 28
(she was more concerned about picking up a kid from daycare, I don't think she had insurance)