15 year old driver kills 4 year old

[Shounak]

Anyone catch this story a few weeks ago with the 15 year old (unlicensed, "unpermitted") driver was backing his car out of a car park, his dad cautioned him about a 4 year old and he panicked, hit the gas instead of the anchors and now an innocent kid is dead.

A dad allowed his 15 year old kid to drive in a place with close proximity to other cars, when the minimum age to drive supervised is 16. There doesn't seem to be any outrage about this, but people get plenty fired up when an 18year old even gets caught speeding.

My dad taught me to drive at 15 also, but in an EMPTY car park where I couldn't have hit anything, even if I tried.

I see this as a far more egregious act than a licensed adult breaking the law. Anyone with me?

This dad should be charged with some sort of homicide, yet after 2 or 3 weeks the police haven't laid any charges yet. Disgusting.

[Kikki]

A YOUNG boy hit and pinned against a pole by a 15-year-old driver who was under the tutelage of his father has died.

The boy, 4, died in the Royal Children's Hospital yesterday after two weeks in intensive care, his parents at his bedside.

Police are still to determine what charges will be laid.

It is believed the teenager's father is likely to be charged on summons. The minimum age to become a learner driver in Victoria is 16.

The tragedy began in a beachside car park at the Canadian Bay area, on the Mornington Peninsula, on June 8.

The boy was with his parents and friends on a long-weekend outing, and had just returned from the beach when he was struck.

He suffered head and internal injuries and a broken leg.

A 15-year-old Mt Eliza teenager was at the wheel.

Police said the teen's father, 49, was teaching him how to drive. His sister was also in the car.

A police spokeswoman yesterday said the father and son would not be questioned again.

The hospital said the victim's parents were too upset to talk about the tragedy.

So sad for the family of the 4 year old. Hopefully they will face a few charges!

[Emackulation]

I don't understand how people get the brake and the accelerator pedals mixed up.

[Kikki]

When your 15 and only learning to drive and Panic I guess anything is possible.

[Shounak]

I don't understand how people get the brake and the accelerator pedals mixed up.

My brother did this when he was learning, but he was licensed to do it and my dads quick reflexes had him hit a tree relatively low speed. The front bar cover was barely damaged, it buffed out.

The only place I would think it is acceptable for a 15 year old to practise driving is private property or a very open and controlled public space, such as an abandoned car park, where it's not possible to do anything.

Also, the 4 year old and the 15 year olds parents were family friends I read. The more I think about this, the more outrage and disgust I feel. Why can't people just obey the bloody law.

[sixshooter]

----------------

[minux]

Shounak, the reason the father cant be charged is because there is nothing he has actually done wrong by law. The L plate laws need a massive overhaul along with passenger in vehicle laws especially when the passenger has allowed a driver to do something like in this instance.

Its crap that neither the driver of this car nor the instrutor will be charged. Absolute crap.

[Emackulation]

but hold on....where the hell was the parent supervising this 4yr old???

[Cobez]

I want to know why the idiot father was letting his 15 year old drive at all. As Shounak said, the legal L plater age is 16.

[Shounak]

Shounak, the reason the father cant be charged is because there is nothing he has actually done wrong by law. The L plate laws need a massive overhaul along with passenger in vehicle laws especially when the passenger has allowed a driver to do something like in this instance.

Its crap that neither the driver of this car nor the instrutor will be charged. Absolute crap.

Fair enough, if he's done "nothing" wrong, legally speaking. It must fall under the same umbrella as the girl caught driving at 160kmh with her mum in the passenger seat.

The girl got the book thrown at her, but the mum couldn't be charged for anything.

It's a damn shame that the kid may be charged for this, as I place the blame solely with the father. Can't the kid still be charged for driving without a licence though? Poor kid, I really do feel sorry for him.

This could possibly be able to play out in the civil courts though? I hope the father is not vindicated completely.

[Cobez]

What about the (now) ex member of this forum lgnd3800? He moved a car out of his driveway whilst his father was out of the car moving another vehicle just before he was due for his P's, then the dumb **** didn't look and a bus hit the car and wrote it off. He copped a fair few charges and has lost his P's now. Surely they can stop this kid from getting his L's for a while at least.........??

[quick308]

ROFL i remember reading that thread. hes the first person iv heard of thats been hit by a bus. how could you not see that coming

[calais_304]

but hold on....where the hell was the parent supervising this 4yr old???

Thats what i was thinking, who lets there 4 yo wonder around a car park

[Sabbath']

Shounak, the reason the father cant be charged is because there is nothing he has actually done wrong by law. The L plate laws need a massive overhaul along with passenger in vehicle laws especially when the passenger has allowed a driver to do something like in this instance.

Its crap that neither the driver of this car nor the instrutor will be charged. Absolute crap.

It is crap. Surely they could bend the charges to, failing to keep control of a vehicle. If he was the only licensed driver in the car, it was his responsibility, no matter where he was sitting to stay in control of the vehicle. The fact that a 15yo was behind the wheel should be null and void.

The only license holding driver in the car was the father. He failed to keep control of the car, which resulted in the death of a toddler. Vehicular Manslaughter on the grounds of failing to keep control of your vehicle.

[sixshooter]

----------------

[Kikki]

ROFL i remember reading that thread. hes the first person iv heard of thats been hit by a bus. how could you not see that coming

LOL a mate of mine ran up the back of a bus on his scooter... Anything is possible.

And as for kids, it is hard, it only takes 2 seconds. I have a feeling the mother would be feeling pretty damn guilty about now.

[AttaBoy]

How sad. Seriously the father should know better.

[hsvpunk]

the parents were walkn a little bit behind the child as the child had run up abit a head of them.
Both parents are in the medical area of jobs, but it was too much to bare for them.

My sister serves the mother and father of the child at her work, and knew the little boy.

All the 15yo will get, is reckless driving causing death... which all he will get is a slap on the wrist.
a friend of mine died in an accident in 2000, i saw it etc.. and the driver of the car she was in was only 16, and he got a 5yr good behavior bond... the system aint good at all.

[AttaBoy]

Many don't realize that a car is a weapon. Its like handing over your shotgun to your 15yo son.

Anything to do with operating a motor vehicle needs to be taken seriously. Not to be put in untrained hands....

[feistl]

I dont think the age is so much the problem, (i mean 16 is just a number), but as a inexperienced first timer, the kid shouldn't be behind the wheel anywhere near people/**** to hit. My dad took my driving when i was 15, we went to a new estate (roads finished, no one around). Was a good place to learn as there was nothing to hit...

I can see how it happened, and i guess its one of those times where hindsight is 20/20. A slight lapse in judgment has caused the death of a kid.

[Niggadore]

Driving should depend on the level of maturity the person has... as well as age.
You get the stupid bunch and the good bunch.
I used to drive by myself on my Learners, until i got caught. the copper was a real nice bloke too, he had a big talk with me in my living room about the things he's seen from a simple mistake from an untrained person. it's so damn easy to loose it in a car.
When you hoon, you think you're the king, it's fun and you're mates love it aswell, but eventually, it always has a cost and i hope the laws change and the government wakes the fu** up and realise that there are serious flaw's in the system...

And the parents aswell. i see so many parents letting their 16/17 year olds take their car out (the parents car) and think that it's okay to do so? are you fu**ing blind? dumb?
My mother never knew, i used to have the car around the block. until i was caught.

But i drove for at least a good year with out getting so much as a cop look at me.
Until i started doing stupid ****... drifting in dandenong factories, burnouts, dragging, and then i was caught, and i look back and i'm glad i was because i think that i would have wrapped the car around a poll by now cause' i just don't have the fundemental's of driving that take 5/10 years worth to really understand.

The system needs a shake up, big time.

Matt (17)

[Ozzie]

grrrr the father needs his head punched in and his *ss &aped in prison

really wasnt the 15yo's fault. the father should know better

[Philthy]

Many don't realize that a car is a weapon. Its like handing over your shotgun to your 15yo son.

Anything to do with operating a motor vehicle needs to be taken seriously. Not to be put in untrained hands....

Growing up on a farm, I first took the steering wheel at about 8 years old, and first took full control of a vehicle (unsuprevised) at about 10. (also first took full control of an aeroplane at 8yo) Learnt to shoot at about 10 years old also. A lot of people have done it a lot earlier also.
Supervisation is always the key here. It doesn't matter how old you are at the time, when you are learning to drive mistakes will always be made. This would have happened exactly the same if the kid was 16 and learning to drive for the first time

[Astranomical]

Personally, I feel that the father was silly for letting the kid take to the wheel of a car unsupervised. Especially if he had never done so before.

My Dad taught me to drive when I was 14, but it was on our 1000 acre farm, out in the middle of bum **** nowhere, with nobody around, and nothing to hit.

[commsirac]

Who is in the wrong here......not sure.

However, it only highlights the problem of the current brake and accelerator arrangement in automatic vehicles(Im assuming it was an auto)


Accidents involving mistaking one for the other are frequent at both the learning end of the scale and at the senior level.
Daily there are accidents where seniors drive through shop windows, into their own garage walls etc.
Usually the problem occurs when the driver is parking, going from reverse to forwards or reversing.....when fixed objects or people are within short distances.
Problem is the driver pushes gently down on what they think is the brake and the car fails to slow down, they push harder and before they can react to the sudden surge in speed they hit whatever is at close quarters.

Given that possibly design changes to car controls arent going to happen in the short term, all drivers of autos should be encouraged to brake with the left foot, it would need some dexterity to get one's left foot on the accelerator.
While this may go against the grain for those who believe people may hit the brake and the accelerator together, it would kiss this sort of accident good bye overnight. Also, brakes will win if you push both pedals hard together.

Whatabout manuals, my observations are that these events dont happen in manuals. Given that most people in parking/reversing situations are in reverse or first gear their foot will still be positioned over the clutch and the first move is to disengage the clutch when using the brakes at slow speeds......this facet would be well entrenched in the seniors who drive manuals around....and is something learners would gain the realisation of quickly. Also there is the problem in an auto that the car will move once put in gear without input from the accelerator, so the car can begin to move and the persons foot not be on either pedal and the driver not having a frame of reference for where either pedal is, whereas in the manual the person needs to put their foot on the accelerator to get it to move and then instantly has a frame of reference for their feet.

Whatabout transition from manual to auto? Can only speak for the people Ive taught to drive and myself.
I learnt firstly to drive in an auto and was taught to use only my right foot and found that I was checking visually to see which pedal my foot was over when having lifted it from either. I also learnt to drive a manual at the same time and didnt have the same problem.
One auto that I ended up driving later on(a bmw), it was impossible for me to get my right foot on to the brake the pedal was positioned poorly right under the steering column......I had no choice but to left foot brake. In all I reckon the left foot braking is far superior in the auto, one can have it poised there while still having foot on the throttle.

I still drive both manual and auto today and never have any problems going from left foot braking in the auto to right foot braking in the manual(as do any of the people Ive taught to drive)...Id be the first to suggest that there would be a probl, but its just an "automatic" transition