The teenage boy who died in the head-on collision early Sunday in Maple Ridge was violating conditions of his driver’s learning permit.
Dawson Spencer, 17, was driving a Dodge mini-van, with two male passengers, it crossed the centre line and collided with a car carrying three young girls. One of them, Crystal Weaver, 18, also died.
Police said the van was weaving in and out of traffic prior to the crash. Police also said speed and inexperience were definitely factors, and have not ruled out whether alcohol played a part.
It’s not known if Spencer had permission to be driving the van. But he shouldn’t have even been driving after midnight, based on restrictions under ICBC’s graduated licensing program. Nor should he have had any passenger’s with him.
Drivers with learners’ permits must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver over the age of 25, and can only drive between 5 a.m. and midnight.
The female driver of the other vehicle in the crash was a novice, under ICBC regulations, and shouldn’t have had more than one passenger with her.
People aren’t supposed to drink and drive or speed, either, or talk on their cell phones or text while driving. But they do, despite statistics that show why we shouldn’t.
B.C. introduced the graduated licensing program for a reason, to reduce fatalities among young drivers. And it has worked. Since it was introduced in 1998, fatal crashes involving drivers 15 to 19 years old have fallen 65 per cent.
But it doesn’t go far enough. Teens can’t vote or drink until they’re 19; a 16-year-old can’t even see an R-rated movie, alone. Yet, they can drive dad’s car.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, as we see in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows annually. Our roads are cluttered with roadside memorials. Speeding is often to blame, as is alcohol, inexperience, immaturity.
The legal age to drive in B.C. should be raised to at least 18, as it is around most of the world. In Niger, the legal age is 23.
It may not seem fair to penalize all young drivers because a few may poor decisions. But there is no good reason why teens younger than 18 need to drive. Most live close enough to walk or bike to school, or their parents drive them, or they can take a bus. If they need a ride home from work, or a party, again, call home. Call a cab.
The risk of giving teens a license drive is too great, the consequences too often, as we’ve just seen, tragic.
– Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News