There's no hope

[Lou Girardin]

The Mother of one of the dead kids in the Pukekohe fatal this weekend was quoted as saying,"they were just having fun, they knew what they were in for when they got into the car". But the killer line was, "no-one was to blame, it was just an accident". This car was driven by a cretin who boasted to his parents that he regularly exceeded 200 km/h.
Stuff 'em, theyd deserve all they get.

[wkid_one]

In that instance I think the parents are also partially responsible....knowing and not acting is a shit load worse than not knowing at all -

[madboy]

Yes and no. Certainly their chances of being involved in a high speed crash resulting in serious injury or death were significantly higher than the general population. It's still bloody unfortunate that it happened. And I feel for the family left behind.

Yes, they probably were out for some fun. I've done it. I spent a great deal of my teenage years trying to get to, sitting at, or exceeding the limits of whatever the vehicle of choice was at the time - and I made no secret of it.

But I agree that the last line was a bit of a curly one - you drive hard you pay the price sooner or later. I'm only here today cos a little bit of skill and a lot of good luck was on my side.

But Lou, have you never done things in your teenage years that you look back on and think WTF was I thinking?

[madboy]

In that instance I think the parents are also partially responsible....knowing and not acting is a shit load worse than not knowing at all -

And your suggestions for what the parents should/could have done?

I ask not for reasons sinister, but merely to make the point that parents usually have very little control over what their kids do - particularly at that age.

Hell, when my old man moaned about the mileage I was racking up on his car, I disconnected the speedo. When he stopped me driving one car while I was disqualified (it was rego to him), I bought another car and registered it in my g/fs name. Not saying I was the picture perfect teenager here - but what could the parents do?

[scumdog]

And your suggestions for what the parents should/could have done?

I ask not for reasons sinister, but merely to make the point that parents usually have very little control over what their kids do - particularly at that age.

Hell, when my old man moaned about the mileage I was racking up on his car, I disconnected the speedo. When he stopped me driving one car while I was disqualified (it was rego to him), I bought another car and registered it in my g/fs name. Not saying I was the picture perfect teenager here - but what could the parents do?

Do what my old man said he'd do, - "If I hear of you doing that again I'll take the sump plug out of your car and run the engine at full revs until it stops THEN I know you won't be doing it in THAT car"

It bloody worked I tell you, the thought of paying for a new engine and having no car until I got another engine kind of cooled my act a bit.

[madboy]

Do what my old man said he'd do, - "If I hear of you doing that again I'll take the sump plug out of your car and run the engine at full revs until it stops THEN I know you won't be doing it in THAT car"

It bloody worked I tell you, the thought of paying for a new engine and having no car until I got another engine kind of cooled my act a bit.

My old man is an accountant - he'd have to pay a mechanic to do that, but that would cost money...

[madboy]

No one to blame??? BULLSHIT! Blame the driver doing 200kph on a rural road at night.
Idiot. Those others didnt deserve to die,

Bloody oath - you accidentally hit 120, maybe 130 long, straight downhill - but there's nothing accidental about 200!!

I disagree on your second comment. I've told the tales of exploits past, and people have been lining up for demonstration runs. So when they've said "I don't believe you can get it airborn over that blind crest at 220km/h" and I've said "Well, come for a ride and I'll show you"... and then it goes tits up, I make a split second error, dump it sideways into a ditch, roll it 63 times and end up submerged upside down in the creek... umm, how did the dead passenger not deserve that any more than the dead driver?

Of course - I don't know how willing the passengers in the fatal accident were, but I often found some passengers were just as gung-ho as (some more so than) the driver.

[Ixion]

..
Idiot. Those others didnt deserve to die, and i feel for the families and friends.
The article about the driver left me wondering why I bother doing this job.

Alas, no-one *deserved* to die. Your anger at the folly that led to these deaths is natural and commendable. But, it was folly, not wickedness. Youth is ever thus foolish, secure in the certainty of his own invulnerability. Many (most ?) of us on this site must, if we are honest, admit "There, but for the grace of God go I "

[madboy]

and does making a foolish decision (as a young person does a lot) mean they deserved to die? I think not.
The driver however... well thats a different story

Was the drivers decision not a foolish one as a young person does a lot?

Let's face it - the driver made a bad call and either his mates were into it or they weren't, either way, they most likely knew what they were up for, just weren't planning on the outcome. The real crime in this situation would have been if an innocent (read unrelated third party) had been involved in the accident, and we should all be bloody thankful for that.

[Ixion]

fol·ly

Pronunciation: 'fä-lE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural follies
Etymology: Middle English folie, from Old French, from fol fool
1 : lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
2 a : criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct b obsolete : EVIL, WICKEDNESS; especially : lewd behavior
3 : a foolish act or idea
4 : an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking

Obsolete I note. But, say stupidity if you wish instead. And they have paid a heavy enough price for it. As an old mate said - "Judge not, that ye be not judged".

[RDJ]

I agree he should not have done it.
But... we've all done things we should not have.
Many of us on bikes and cars.
We were not smart then, we (and others) were lucky.
Now we're older, and maybe wiser.
RIP the youngsters is all I want to say now, condemning his stupidity is both pointless and throwing the first stone.

[Lou Girardin]

Yes and no. Certainly their chances of being involved in a high speed crash resulting in serious injury or death were significantly higher than the general population. It's still bloody unfortunate that it happened. And I feel for the family left behind.

Yes, they probably were out for some fun. I've done it. I spent a great deal of my teenage years trying to get to, sitting at, or exceeding the limits of whatever the vehicle of choice was at the time - and I made no secret of it.

But I agree that the last line was a bit of a curly one - you drive hard you pay the price sooner or later. I'm only here today cos a little bit of skill and a lot of good luck was on my side.

But Lou, have you never done things in your teenage years that you look back on and think WTF was I thinking?

Sure, but my parents never condoned it. I got regular kicks in the arse.

BTW. No-one said that he was doing 200 when the accident happened, the reports were 130 -140. He was boasting of 200 plus. Which allowing for mental speedo error was about 180.

[outlawtorn]

My heart goes out to the family of the kids who died, it is a tragedy to die at such as young age.

Once again this begs the question "If bikers have to sit through a graduation system for bikes, then so should kids in cars".

Tragic man....

[MSTRS:Me]

Those kids didn't learn their lesson. But will others now pay more attention to the conditions under which they speed & the physics involved? I think not.

[scumdog]

Those kids didn't learn their lesson. But will others now pay more attention to the conditions under which they speed & the physics involved? I think not.

Of course not, NOBODY on this site believes speed has any relationship to crashing/injury/death!!

Speed is just a 'thing' made up by the govt. to explain away why people crash and get hurt, it doesn't actually exist - or have you not been following the various threads pertaining to speed?