I really think a 18 year old should not be allowed to drive such a powerful car just because he/his parents can afford it. It is much too dangerous. Such a car can become a deadly trap...

It might not, or it might have happened. We'll never know. But lack of wisdom, drinking, and peer pressure have taken the lives of many a teenager at the wheel of lesser vehicles than Ford Focus. If not on an airstrip in an M5, then somewhere else. But I do agree the M5 makes for a potentially far more disastrous result.

I agree that a lot, if not most, of the responsibility lies with the parents. When you're as young as these guys were, you tend to lack the concept of your own death, as well as the experience to handle yourself in the event that something does go wrong. I can remember taking unnecessary risks myself at that age, and I would be very surprised if this father wasn't the same. I would also be wary of handing over the keys of my M5 (if I had one) even to an adult, without me in the car. And to a teenager, at night? Forget it. Studies have shown that teens take more risks with other teens in the car, and it's worst when the passengers are males.

All of this, plus the 17 tickets between these 4 guys (2 criminal traffic misdemeanors), at such young ages, is a recipe for disaster.

Speeding thrills but kills ...!

Teens should have special licenses that don't allow them to have other teenagers as passengers with out a guardian being present (unless of course it is an emergency).

Let's be frank here. There are many "big men" who are driving right now that are very belittling on the road., because they drive "otherwise". To say the least, is such an understatement. It's the big men that are the ones who can afford these powerful cars. All of this comes down to one thing: common sense. Nothing more, nothing less. We use our discretions with everything we do on a daily basis, driving included.

There are just as many dangerous drivers who speed compared to those that slug along a freeway. To say that young drivers should not be allowed, old folk should not be allowed as well. As a matter of fact, I know of too many middle aged folk that drive 40 mph on a freeway. The brake lights of a car are the most sensitive and focal thing on a road. When you see them your senses tell you to act accordingly. You have much older people who abuse these, causing drivers behind them frustration, anxiety, and yes, accidents as well.

I personally may joke about wanting to hook up lights to other parts of the car, but the reality is that I know better, I would be cheating others and myself if I do that. Abrupt braking and non stop braking are part of the problem. It's not just speed, and it's not just young folk that are the problem where laws are being made to restrict their driving.

We have to look at this from many angles, but the consensus I am getting here tells a different story, and I disagree with the focal point on age and speed here.

Have that in my state, A teen can not drive with anyone else in the car until they are 18. They also cannot drive after midnight until 18.

Age (and lack of experience and good judgement) and speed are the focal point here because these are the major contributing factors in both the cause and severity of this accident. It was not the result of older folk going too slow. Take a look at this report (and notice the parallels with this accident):
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In a study conducted by State Farm, "researchers found that one teenage passenger with a teen driver doubles the risk of a fatal crash, while the risk is five times higher when two or more teens ride along." You simply don't find this kind of thing among older drivers.

Here is a chart from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showing driver fatality rates by age:



You can see teens have much higher than average fatality rates, about on par with the extremely elderly. And this is despite being at the peak of physical condition for sight, reflexes. Middle-age folks have the lowest rate.
While teenage drunk driving rates are on the decline, they are still disproportionately high, considering the national minimum alcohol purchase age of 21 (and several states banning underage consumption outright). This pretty much points to a lack of maturity, and/or poor decision-making as a result of poor parenting.

Wow very interesting. Thanks Guibo.

In France, yoiu have to be 18 to drive a car, and the two first years you have to wear a big red "A" at the rear of your car, so that other drivers see you have no real driving experience. And in theory you have to drive 10km/h slower than the speed limits (which is stupid, dangerous for others, and never respected)...

Unfortunately you have an enormous amount of these cars with "A" that are speeding, overtaking without any sight in a corner, or not stopping at a red light...Much more than other cars without this "A"... And that, often with old cars with poor brakes, no maintain, defective lights, dead tyres...

The chart confirms part of my beliefs that yes, teenagers and elderly folk should have driving restrictions.

Now, I wonder if there is a chart or study that shows the fatality rate in performance cars (heavy horsepower vehicles only), and its correlation to age.

When I think of teenager, I tend to think of the time I was thankful to have been given the chance to obtain a drivers license. I was seventeen, and I needed it. If there is a law that bans teens from driving, what good would that do to the millions more that are teenagers who drive, who don't get into accidents or fatalities? That number is far greater, it's just the percentage of fatality rates that are high, but to punish the rest, the _ _for every 1 is wrong, in my opinion.

I agree with everything you say EXCEPT that it would never have happened in a Ford Focus. It was the speed not acceleration that made the accident fatal. A Ford Focus being driven on that runway at top speed would have given exactly the same result. If you think young kids in a Ford Focus don't drive fast you need to spend some time in England mate! All this talk about limiting hp is pointless, with good aerodynamics 100hp can get you over 200km/h... more than enough to cause this kind of carnage. Kids of this age think nothing can kill/hurt them... at least they didn't kill anyone who didn't choose to partake in their madness.