It hasn't been in the papers down here in Georgia, but right before I left home there was a horrible story about seven teenagers, mostly 14 and 15, who were killed in a car wreck out in West Tennessee. The driver was 15 and had a learner's permit but no license. Obviously, he was driving way beyond his ability. None of the kids in the car were old enough to drive and some were siblings. I'll have to catch up on the story when I get home. Not that I want too, but I will be searching for something that will make me understand why it happened.

I have seen this happen too many times. Driving looks so easy, and as soon as they learn how to put the car in gear and which pedal to push, some beginners think they have learned it all. A friend of mine lost a son that way a few years ago. He was 16. Over the years I have seen it happen to a dozen former students. Usually the driver had only been driving a very short time. One former student would be 45 by now had he lived past 16. His parents have never recovered.

Please don't over estimate your own ability.

I'm on the other end of the scale. I find myself driving more and more conservatively. I watch my mirrors more, and change lanes carefully. I know that sometime in the next few years, my children will take my car away, and I won't like it, but I'll understand. There is nothing worse than losing a child, but losing a parent isn't easy either.
Howard