I have 5 kids; my eldest is now 17 and I'm terrified at the thought of her getting in a car with any of her new driver friends! She's also learning, but funnily that doesn't frighten me as much? However, I remember when I was that age and all the near misses I had as a typical "super driver" teenage boy ...
So what do you do? You can't wrap them in cotton wool forever, and as much as it frightens me I realise there are many risks they have to face alone as part of growing up. Personally, I'd feel much happier with the thought of them flying with a good instructor through the ATC than being a passenger with another teenager in a car. It's terrible when accidents like this happen, but we need to put them into perspective. To almost dismiss kids killed in cars as just normal accidents and those killed in aircraft as being any more tragic would be stupid. Unfortunately, most of the press is sensationalist and well, STUPID!
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