Comments about ‘Families of teens killed on Utah's roads tell stories in new booklet’

This sounds like a very worthwhile and well-intentioned publication. The article, however, doesn't mention how to get one's hands on a copy, which I'd really like to do. This will be required reading for my son who will be eligible for a learner's permit next year.

16! and driving a young child? Child emdangerment for sure, and two counts. Why didn't the mother just give her son a gun to play with? If she did she whould be in jail. Responsibility begins at home, with the parent. A 16 year old and a car equals a very deadly weapon. I feel sory for the parents' pain but not for their lack of judgment.

My opinion is that they give learner's permits to Teenagers from 16 to 18 Years of Age. No Driverslicens till the Age of 18, And that every body needs to have Driver,' Ed. regardless of Age for theyr first Licens. We have way to many People Hurt or Killed on Roads. Some of those could be prevented with proper ed.

As the mother of a carefully trained 17 year old driver I can not believe someone would equate allowing a licensed (though young) driver to drive to school with child endangerment. This kind of judgemental behavior is exactly what the parents in the article don't need. My high schooler has been in two accidents in her two years of riding to school with friends and they were both caused by the distracted 40somethings behind them plowing into the back of the car she was a passenger in (One of those was right in front of a police officer in a school zone! They were obeying the lower speed limit, but the mom who came up behind them didn't.). Accidents happen and education is the best thing for these kids, not knee jerk commentary. I applaud the actions of these parents who are simply trying to do what we all try to do, keeping our kids as safe as we can while knowing they can't be under our thumb all the time.

What if Utah's teens didn't have to drive everywhere? What if they could walk?

We all make mistakes whether at a young age or old. There is mandatory driver's education, my son is almost 21 and he is now getting his driver's license and you are required to take a class and driving time.

My condolences to the families who lost their children. I'm sure they were great kids, as their parents are wonderful people too. Accidents can in a split second happen to any of us anytime.

I live just off the road where this boy died.

The road is very narrow, has twisting blind corners, and drops sharply into trees on one side. There is no shoulder at all, and cars frequently go through the turns at high speed, as if the road were some kind of amusement park ride.

No changes of any kind were made to the road after this accident. You'd think that the city could cut into the uphill side to widen the road, or would at least add a railing or speed bumps. But nothing's been done, just the little marker where the car went off the road where the boy's friends placed flowers.

Meanwhile, the new development just north on the same road recently put in a shiny new roundabout. Of course the city didn't pay for it, but the sharp contrast is sickening.

This is a project that I think is great. Not only will it provide a way for information to be made more realistic, it will be a healing aid for the familes.

Working for a manufacturer of automotive saftey products, I have gained a much better understanding of the importance of utilizing safety features in cars, especially seatbelts. But nothing impacted me as much as a video I saw of a commercial airing in the UK a few years back. I've had all of my children and their friends watch the video I have never have to ask them to put their seatbelts on after they watched it. If anyone wants a way to show their kids the importance of seatbelts, do a google search for "No Seatbelt, No Excuse" video. It starts out a little weird, (a young couple in love thing) but it is short and to the point and lets kids know that it's not only them being affected if they don't where their belts. Make sure you're volume is on when you play it.:)

I truly hope the familes are comforted through this. What a difficult time for them. I wish them all the best!

Wow. Way to pour some salt in an already open wound. You are actually comparing an older brother giving his son a ride to school with him running around with a gun?! This boy was a licensed driver, he had passed the required classes and tests to have his license. Child Endangerment?! I can't believe how judgmental people are. When you say you feel sorry for them for their loss, but you are so quick to judge and blame, it sends a mixed message. You obviously have no idea how it feels to lose a child, and you should pray you never have to experience that kind of pain. And, while you're praying, pray for people to show you more kindess and compassion than you have shown this grieving family.

I knew Kiefer very well. What happend was a tragedy. I strongly agree with the neighbor about what the city should do about the road. Everytime i drive through it just scares me that the same thing could happen to someone else. But yet the city has not done a single thing about it! Kiefer wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else.

I was trying to start a petition to fix that road that Kiefer was driving on that morning but it hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. If you are interested in signing it, I think I will be starting an online petition as well as one that I will bring around the city. That road NEEDS to be fixed. I was recently visiting the crash site and it's scary how many accidents almost happen because that corner is so blind, and people take it so fast.
It kills me to know that if the road was fixed years ago we'd still have one of our best friends making us laugh around the high school.

I was raised to be a cautious and smart driver. My father who is a police officer and my mother who is in the insurance business taught me of the many dangers. I feel that through Drivers Ed and especially the time spent driving with my parents has tremendously helped me. I was a 16-year old driving my older sister to school because she was involved in sports so didn't have time for a license. All of these experiences helped prepare me for facing a 30yr old drunk driver who rammed me off the road after a sweethearts dance! The facts are simple really: drivers ed., inform teens of the danger of driving, teach them how to drive in the snow, teach them how to drive period- not aggressively and it they choose to do so teach them of the consequences, Seat belts are the KEY-they have saved my life more than once! You cant always avoid death but you can be informed and you can inform others! I know of the suffering I put my mother through as I saw the agony on her face as she came to the scene of my accident. Teens roads don't equal racetracks