From the logging roads of the Pacific Northwest to the farm country of the Great Plains and beyond, it's not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they're young.
But the news that a 13-year-old was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that blew a tire and struck a van on a dark, two-lane road in West Texas on Tuesday night, killing nine people — including six members of a New Mexico college's golf teams and their coach — put a renewed focus on the practice.
"Every two days we are killing the equivalent of a Boeing 737 crashing," he said, referring to highway fatalities from multiple causes."It's long overdue that we start to do something about it." Every U.S. state has some type of graduated driver's licensing program, by which teens as young as 14 can begin taking driver's education classes or begin driving with an instructor or guardian, he said. Eventually they gain more independence, being allowed to drive on their own or at night, until they have full privileges.
In 2019, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.9 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas. While the area is rural, the surrounding oil fields of the Permian Basin that crosses from West Texas into New Mexico mean the traffic can be anything but, local residents said. 'WORST-CASE SCENARIO' IN TEXAS CRASHIn Texas, one must be 14 to begin classroom instruction for a learner's license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Victor Taylor said it would be illegal for a 13-year-old to drive on public roads.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
EXPLAINER: Driver in Texas crash was 13; is that legal?It’s not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they’re young, sometimes even before they reach their teens
Read more »
EXPLAINER: Driver in Texas Crash Was 13; Is That Legal?It’s not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they’re young, sometimes even before they reach their teens.
Read more »
EXPLAINER: Driver in Texas crash was 13; is that legal?It’s not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they’re young, sometimes even before they reach their teens
Read more »
EXPLAINER: Driver in Texas crash was 13; is that legal?It’s not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they’re young, sometimes even before they reach their teens.
Read more »
EXPLAINER: Driver in Texas crash was 13; is that legal?From the logging roads of the Pacific Northwest to the farm country of the Great Plains and beyond, it's not uncommon for people in rural parts of the U.S. to learn to drive when they're young, sometimes even before they reach their teens.
Read more »
Driver Who Caused Texas Crash That Killed 9 Was Just 13 Years OldThe driver of a pickup truck that veered into oncoming traffic on Tuesday night, killing eight others including six university students, was aged just 13.
Read more »