Testosterone-driven unwitting suicide

By God, if they keep killing themselves off this way we won't even have to worry about a forthcoming generation of males. We don't send them off to war, we kill them in high-powered automobiles. Just add a goodly dollop of booze, lots of hormones, a non-existent sense of judgment or sheer common-sense, a sweet young 'thang' just to give those hormones an extra boost, a rival young buck, and an overpowered bit of Japanese machinery, throw in a few outrageously irresponsible TV commercials from vehicle manufacturers who should hang their heads in eternal shame for their irresponsibility, and you have the formula for the headlines that keep coming, and coming and coming.

Way back at the beginning of the paragraph I said "we", in terms of responsibility, rather than the young morons who persist in killing themselves, along with innocent other motorists, pedestrians, and passengers. I mean "we" because of our abdication of responsibility in granting access to vehicles that nobody the age of the victims could actually afford without parental help (hell, I can't afford the gear they wrap around trees and one another); our negligence in knowing what are young people are doing in the wee smalls when they should be at home; the abysmally lacklustre penalties that are handed out for major driving infractions; and the dreadfully lax standards we demand before we issue that driver's license to somebody who has no business having one.

When I lived in England a number of years ago, I had only been driving for mere days before I noticed how well everybody drove. They all drive defensively, and they all know the rules-of-the-road, and they obey them. We get all exercised about speed in North America. Speed isn't the issue. The Brits drive fast. The Germans drive like bullets. They don't kill themselves and others left-right-and-centre because they know how to drive. Their driving tests demand it. The teenage girl who lived next door to me was going for her driving test one day. When she got home, I assumed she had passed, since she seemed very chipper. "Did you pass?" I asked. "Oh no, I failed, but I did much better than last time." She went on to tell me that virtually nobody gets a license the first time around. It's virtually unheard of.

And, there is something else there, too. That is that all vehicles are up to a rigid standard in terms of braking power, steering, tire quality, etc. That's because every vehicle must pass and annual MOT inspection. If it doesn't make it, it's off the road, bucko. That inspection is rigid, too.

But, we go on killing our young. Or, our young go on killing themselves, both due to their asinine behavior. Whatever works for you. And, we will continue to merrily do so until we grow up and maybe look towards a change in our approach to kiddies behind the wheel. Meanwhile, don't go out driving late at night. The risk is too great. Let them kill each other instead.