Three teens were killed in Guilford Saturday. The car they were in skidded off the road and hit a tree.

On Dec. 12, two teens were killed in Old Town when their car backed out of a driveway and was hit by a pulp truck.

Five Maine teens killed in a span of 10 days.

Dozens more were hurt in car wrecks during the same period.

The anguish of their families and friends is immeasurable. And the anxiety the accidents bring to others who didn’t even know these teens is immense because we know these accidents, as horrendous as they were, will not be the last to take a teenager’s life.

In 1998, the Maine Department of the Secretary of State published a report on findings and recommendations of the Task Force on Young Drivers. The recommendations are narrowly focused on what Maine can and should do to study drinking, drugging and driving because driving under the influence has been proven to be the most likely cause of fatal accidents.

Police have announced no evidence that the five teens who died in Guilford and Old Town were under the influence, and that is certainly not the sole cause of fatal accidents.

Teens also wreck cars because they horse around, they drive too fast and they are not experienced enough to recognize and respond to sudden changes in driving conditions. And they die.

Teens — drivers and passengers — have a responsibility to reduce Maine’s accident rate.

Most teens listen to their friends much better than they do to adults. If a friend talks about their experience rolling over in a car, or slamming into a tree, a teen is going to remember the details and hear the fear.

Knowing that, a lot of schools already ask teens to speak at occasional school meetings and assemblies. But is that enough?

In recent years educators have adopted adviser-advisee programs in many Maine high schools, small groups where students can talk to each other and their advisers about personal challenges and celebrations. These groups don’t ordinarily have agendas for the year, but are loosely defined to permit the groups to follow their own conversations.

Driving is a topic every teen can relate to, whether learning to drive or already licensed. It’s a perfect topic for an informal group discussion, a discussion that can include the fun and freedom of driving and the fear of accidents.

We’re not suggesting that school administrators insert themselves into adviser-advisee groups. We’re asking teens to bring up the topic themselves, to talk to each other about their own experiences and to urge each other to be smart and stay safe.

Teens hold 12.5 percent of all Maine driver’s licenses but are disproportionately involved in 30 percent of all crashes and 25 percent of all fatal accidents. Since Maine has determined them responsible enough to drive, they are obliged to do so safely. Talking among themselves about the consequences of poor driving is a good first step.


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