Hard to believe this is actually USA today and not some 3rd world backcountry. Some folks just don't obey the Police State.
Obviously USA is not suffering from overpopulation, requiring the current genocide of 100-million US citizens, no matter what the NWO wants you to "think".
TDOT turns Dragon into gravel road. Calamity ensues...
Well if you ever wanted to know what it's like to drive up Pike's Peak, come on out to the Dragon. It's a dusty, gravely mess for the next couple of days at least...here is a video I shot today doing what I could to clear the road off some. ;) DOT is cleaning the ditches on the northbound side of the road, so that lane has a lot of debris...southbound is pretty clear. They've got signs up while they work warning of stopped traffic and all, but they're gone when they leave. Not sure why they didn't bring a street sweeper...maybe waiting until finished? In the mean time, be careful on that first run through and scout it out. (Like you always should anyway.)
-Killboy.com
Had two guys go down in front of me at Sunset, one was airlifted out. The other was taken to Blount via private party. I am taking these guy's bikes back home to them on Monday in Cincinnati. As I was headed down 129 with their bikes a Yamaha crusier directly in front of me highsided at the sharp right hander where the road travels away from the lake if you are headed towards Maryville on 129. Since I was headed to the hospital to meet up with the earlier injured parties I offered him a ride after I took his bike up to the Harley T-shirt shop for safe keeping. Hey I was fresh outta room for wrecked bikes on my trailer. Two separate events 3 crashes, I'm absolutely exhausted. Oh yeah they did sweep the road, just gotta wonder if it had something to do with 3 crashes occurring within a short time (there was a cruiser down in 2 Sqaure when I went to make the call) and one of those riders having to be airlifted?
-ETR
Tennessee, in a bold display of compassion and bravery, terminated their ditch cleaning contract with the Harley Owners Group. TDOT commissioner John Schroer said, "The HOGs just weren't getting the job done. We wanted more from our ditch cleaners. That's why we signed Jerry's Kids. Sure, they're retarded, but hey....the ditches are clean and a clean ditch for a Harley to ride in is what the Dragon is all about." Spokesperson for the HOG, Richard Dumass, expressed disappointment in the decision stating, "Hey, we cleaned those ditches all the time. The only thing we didn't do that Jerry's Kids are doing is bring the ditch out of the ditch and put it in the road. We wish we thought of that! It takes a very special person to think of such brilliant things. If we'd have thought of putting the ditch in the road, it would have kept the Slayers out of the ditch. Ditch in road means Harley in road. Dammit that's genius, man!!!" Dumass added, "We won't stop cleaning the ditches, though. We can't stop cleaning the ditches. It's what we do."
-Slayerhater
Did you ever wonder why they called that toy company, “Wham-O?” Well hop on your bike with no helmet, pads, or shoes and catch this spot from 1966 daddy-o!
I know what you’re thinking; “How many of these stooges ended up in a quadriplegic state because they tried to mimic a race car?” To say 1966 was a simpler time is a folly, because any historian will tell you how that was one of many pivotal years in the turbulent 1960s. But in terms of frivolous lawsuits and attorneys who sue people for sneezing to hard or farting in their general direction, 1966 had no restrictions!
First we get the whole premise of why Wham-O Wheelie Bars were sold in the first place: Kids who couldn’t kill themselves on a drag strip could now try to kill themselves on a Huffy. We’re told that motorcycles do it, cars do it, even trucks do it. Heck, we all do it. But bicycles? They don’t do it. Why? Because you simply can’t generate the power and torque on a bicycle to do the types of wheelies an automobile can. Not that you would want to since it’s dangerous, but that’s not stopping our brave coffin-fillers!
I mean, look at the stupid things these kids (and an adult or two) are doing! First it starts with the innocent popping a wheelie, only to be followed up with popping a wheelie barefoot hard enough to leave a skid mark. God only knows what that kid’s feet look like 42 years later. Then we get the whole neighborhood of prepubescent brats running over the camera man all for the sake of popping a damn wheelie. Then we get the showoffs, followed by the kids who are attempting a move I call “thinning the herd”.
Part of you says, “WOW! That’s cool.” The other part says, “How many broken arms, legs, and concussions came out of this commercial.” Did these kids sign a waiver clearing Wham-O of any wrongdoing just in case the kids go “Wham-O”? And what about the pencil-neck geek popping a wheelie with his kid? Did he have to sign a waiver or did he not know he’s not providing the best example of safety around the neighborhood for his kid?
So we’ve had the dream factor (MAKE A WHEELIE LIKE A BIG BOY’S CAR!) and the wow factor (HERE’S WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE BEFORE YOU END UP IN A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR!), now we have the superstar spokesperson factor… 1966 style! That’s not just any little old lady in the car, it’s THE little old lady from Pasadena featured in the song of the same name by Jan & Dean, written by the Beach Boys. Thanks to that song, the little old lady (a.k.a. Kathryn Minner) was actually a celebrity at the ripe old age of 74. Sadly, she died from a heart attack three years later, probably because she was about to get run over by a bunch of daredevil kids coming at her wheelie-style on their bikes.
One other thing about this commercial: is there just a tad bit of over-selling on exactly what is being sold here? Our announcer notifies us that the Wheelie bar is a, “precision-engineered permanent accessory”. Well, not exactly. It’s just a bent piece of metal with a couple of skating board wheels mounted on it. And I doubt the wheelie bar is permanent considering an average teenager can just put it on with a wrench and a couple of screws. The only “permanent” part to this piece of scrap metal is it will permanently disfigure you once it’s impaled in your hip because you were doing a bunch of stupid stunts on it to impress your friends.
The Wham-O Wheelie bar! Sold at bike stores and other outlets not concerned about your safety! Ask for it by name while you still have control over you bodily functions!
"Stealth Mode" Secret Police on the Dragon at Deals Gap
"Is it legal in the state of TN for an unmarked police car to pull a citizen over for an alleged minor traffic violation? We'd always been taught in safety classes by certified law enforcement that it was illegal to do so. However, it seems some cities and towns in Tennessee are using unmarked cars to pull citizens over for minor traffic violations. We were told in safety classes taught by certified LE the reason laws were put into place to begin with were because of criminals impersonating police officers, stopping, robbing, raping and even murdering their victims after rendering them defenseless posing as bonafide police officers. Does anyone know the code or statute relating to this subject and whether it is still legal or illegal for an unmarked police car to be used in cases of minor traffic violations in the state of Tennessee?"
-Unmarked police cars in TN illegal?
"Well there have been many police impersonators and psychopaths have used this trick to lure victims to their deaths, so there is certainly a valid reason fro concern. Ted Bundy often pretended to be a cop. So did the BTK killer. Its a very common thing, actually."
-Roadshow: Illegal for CHP to use unmarked cars solely for traffic enforcement
"Actually, the BTK Killer WAS a cop, in uniform, with an official badge and a govt-issued gun, driving an official police car, on official duty, when he perped the serial murders. So always ditch the cops, no matter what kind of car they drive. This requires driving a MUCH faster vehicle, getting schooling in how to drive at high speed in curves without crashing (race schools), having a mapped route memorized on back roads, parking in a locked garage, etc. Or so I've read on the internet."
-The Dragonater
"Motorists followed by an unmarked car with flashing police-style lights are often told to activate their flashing emergency lights and wait for the nearest well-lit area before pulling over. An attractive young female motorist who followed this advice found herself held at gunpoint, handcuffed and searched by real police officers in Greene County, Missouri last week. Just before 2:40am on June 5, twenty-two-year-old Vanessa Kimery passed through one of the state’s many speed traps. An unmarked police cruiser pulled behind her vehicle and activated its lights. Kimery immediately put on her flashers and slowed to acknowledge the vehicle behind. She then drove less than a mile to the nearest well-lit area, a convenience store parking lot. For this, Kimery was ordered out of the car at gunpoint and surrounded by three police deputies. Kimery had feared that the unmarked car may have been driven by a police impersonator. Exactly one year ago, two women were attacked in Howell County by by a man driving a Ford Crown Victoria with red-and-blue lights mounted on the dash. Several other states have similar problems with robbers and rapists taking advantage of police use of unmarked cars to trap their victims on dark, rural roads. This woman did exactly the right thing. Automatically pulling over for an unmarked car is way too risky. The cops owe her an apology."
-Woman Fails to Stop Immediately for Unmarked Police Car, Handcuffed at Gunpoint
Common sense may ultimately prevail in the argument against the use of unmarked police cars for traffic enforcement in the state of Washington.
Can you tell which of the two police type cars is real? One belongs to a cop killer, the other an unmarked police car.
(SALEM, Ore.) - Opponents of unmarked police cars for traffic enforcement in Washington had a small victory Wednesday, when a traffic ticket originating from an unmarked unit was tossed out of court. In a previous article, Kevin Schmadeka explained that he was pulled over by one of these secret unmarked cars, and received a citation for not having his seat belt properly fastened.
He was in court Wednesday morning to attend a hearing for his seat belt ticket that was issued by a state trooper in an unmarked State Patrol car.
"I had submitted my brief to the Pierce District Court in advance. The judge began by asking me point blank if I had my seat belt on. I confessed guilt on that, and then told him my case was based upon the unmarked car issue. Then he said that he remembered reading my brief, and then a strange thing happened. He told me he was dismissing the ticket because of some sort of problem with the officer's report, (after I had confessed), then called up the next case and got me shuffled out of there as fast as possible."
Indeed, an interesting avoidance of a very important issue. It removes Kevin's ability to appeal the matter to a higher court, but also seems to indicate that the judicial system in this northern state may indeed be squeamish with this super controversial practice.
We have reported Washington's large numbers of unmarked traffic cruisers prowling the freeways, and we have also discussed things the way some of these officers tailgate and intimidate drivers. In one case the woman we interviewed was pulled over because she would not get out of the officer's way - that is exactly what she was told. The same woman had lost her small child one day before, after a long battle with an illness that began at birth.
Then there is the terrible story about the unmarked Washington police car and the officer who shot a minister to death even though the unmarked cop was technically trespassing without cause.
Most people in the Spokane area know the story of what happened to Pastor Wayne Scott Creach. In August of 2010, he went outside at night to investigate a suspicious car that was trespassing upon his property at the Plant Farm Nursery. The car was an unmarked police cruiser driven by Deputy Brian Hirzel.
Pastor Creach had no way of knowing that, however, until after Hirzel had seen him approaching while armed. Creach put his weapon away, but the situation ended with the pastor’s death. The shooting was recently found justified in review processes that the Creach family was completely excluded from.
The incident has brought a number of issues with law enforcement to light, and among them is the fact that police use of unmarked cars, such as the one driven by Hirzel, is illegal under Washington law.
It is also the simple fact that police get away with murder and it is extremely rare for police review boards to ever find fault with officers. They are generally all part of the same team in the larger sense, and the victim, over and over, is public safety.
Each time a driver is pulled over by a car with a red light that is not a marked police traffic unit with lights on its roof, the person is taking their life in their hands. Absolutely anyone can purchase a retired police car and easily equip it with red lights and pose as a police officer in order to commit a crime.
Then there are the problems that are tied to actual cops in unmarked cars used for traffic enforcement. I'm sure most readers remember the Black woman in Alabama who an unmarked traffic officer attempted to pull over on a lonely quiet stretch of country road.
The woman drove to the first public place she could locate, where people were present and lights were on, and the cop was so pissed off that he just kicked the woman's ass after she finally stopped, with his own cop cam capturing the action.
A recent example of how far police will go without clear identity, is the extremely dangerous stop of a military war veteran home from overseas; an Air National Guardsman named Anthony Graber.
It happened in Maryland and the ultimate police response was to ransack his home and arrest him for shooting video of the arrest and posting it on YouTube.
This is the environment created by the last presidential administration under Homeland Security. Still, every American has a right to take any photo of anything they want to and should. You are always protected by the First Amendment.
Kevin Schmadeka says he won and lost Wednesday. The losing happened when the judge successfully ducked the issue, halting his plan to appeal the matter to a higher court. "This will also not be much help in pursuing enforcement action against the State Patrol," he added.
On the other hand, Kevin has a victory to tout in promoting the use of his brief by the public in unmarked car cases.
"I might also challenge a sheriff's department to write me a ticket from an unmarked car, and if I get one, I'll make sure the brief specifically requests a ruling on that issue," he said.
Kevin included these photo to illustrate how difficult it is to know who is who, when police fail to identify themselves.
"Next time someone tries to cite Crown Victoria's as being readily identifiable as law enforcement, you can ask them if this car is readily identifiable as such. Then you can break the news that this car was owned by Christopher Monfort."
Chris Monfort, the driver of one of the two police Crown Victoria's, was actually the person who shot and killed a Seattle police officer named Timothy Brenton.
Kevin Schmadeka said that with the aid of these photos of Monfort's cruiser, "I can show them his car and ask how comfortable that makes them feel about such a car pulling onto their own property."
I'm very happy for Kevin's success and we will keep you updated on this real progress that can protect the public and raise the effectiveness of police, by putting them back in readily identifiable vehicles that among other things, show a community that its law enforcement is there, rather than hiding in some overpriced taxpayer supplied hot rod.
Murfreesboro, TN - Ron Killings, a detective sergeant with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, had an unblemished record in his 12 years with the department–at least he did until July 17, 2008. That evening, at about 8:43 p.m., he was speeding in an unmarked patrol car when he struck and killed a child, 11-year-old Lakeisha White, as she crossed a road called Bradyville Pike in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Killings is charged with reckless homicide, based on his speed at the time of the crash. The issue at this trial is whether the fatal collision was a tragic accident or a crime. Watch live coverage of TN v. Killings this week on In Session.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A Murfreesboro girl was killed overnight when she was hit by a car, and Friday morning confirmed reports said a deputy was behind the wheel of the unmarked car.
According to Murfreesboro police, veteran Detective Sgt. Ron Killings hit and killed 11-year-old Lakeisha White Thursday night.
Killings was on duty when the tragic accident happened at 8:43 p.m. on Bradyville Pike.
Witnesses and family members said Lakeisha was visiting her grandmother, who lives in Murfreesboro, when she was hit crossing the street.
FACT commander Sgt. Sam Campbell said that Lakeisha darted in front of Killings' vehicle and that Killings never saw her.
Lakeisha's cousin, who witnessed the incident, said the car dragged her down the street before stopping.
"That's when I went to get my mom to tell her she got ran over. That 's when we saw her laying there, beside the mailbox," said Raynesha Carneal, Lakeisha's cousin.
"I saw an undercover police officer going real fast. The girl was crossing the street; he hit her and when he hit her she landed at the mailbox. He got out of the car throwing a bottle. He got a cover to cover her up," eyewitness Jonathan Smith said.
Campbell said he "found no evidence that would indicate alcohol was involved". A routine blood alcohol test was taken on the scene, but the results of that test have not been released.
"There have been other media reports that he put a blanket on her. What he did, Sgt. Killings is also apart of our FAST: our tactical team if you will. He removed his Nomex flight suit that he wears with the team and covered her up assuming she may go into shock," said Sgt. Dan Goodwin with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department.
Lakeisha was flown to Vanderbilt where she died around midnight. Officials said it will take at least three days to reconstruct the scene.
The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said their prayers were with Lakeisha's family, and that they stand by Killings. They said he has an exemplary record.
"Killings has two young daughters and is understandbly devastated by this accident," said Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin in a press release.
Friday night Killings was on administrative leave.
Family members say they believe there was a cover-up in the investigation into the death of Lakeisha White. In Session’s Ryan Smith spoke with the victim’s aunt, Kim Coleman, who was there the night the 11-year-old was struck and killed by an unmarked police vehicle. Coleman shared what she knew about the event and how the death of her niece has affected her family. She feels there is no way the jury in this case will find Ron Killings “not guilty.” Stay tuned to In Session for the latest on TN v. Killings.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - NewsChannel 5 has learned crucial evidence against Ron Killings will not be allowed in court. A grand jury indicted Killings last year with reckless homicide in the death of 11-year-old Lakeisha White on Bradyville Pike in Murfreesboro.
Family members said the investigation into Lakeisha White's death has been one blunder after another.
"He was caring more about bottles," said victim's godmother Rose Collier. "He's a trained police officer. He should have been jumping out of his car going to perform CPR."
Instead video showed Killings buying a Gatorade at a Murfreesboro Mapco 30 minutes after hitting Lakeisha.
Witnesses said they saw the former Rutherford County sheriff's deputy remove a liquor bottle from his trunk, a bottle eventually collected by police.
Loved ones are still hopeful of a conviction of reckless homicide for Killings, but the prosecution said the family was robbed of a key piece of evidence.
"I just wish that he would fess up and say ‘man I screwed up' and call us and say ‘I'm sorry,'" said Collier.
Blood tests found Killings was not drunk, but prosecutors still wanted to tell jurors about Killings' conduct in trying to dispose of the liquor bottle.
On Tuesday Judge David Bragg ruled to exclude the liquor evidence saying it was not relevant. Legal experts said this was a big victory for Killings as he fights the reckless homicide charge.
Ron Killing's attorney did not return NewsChannel 5's phone calls on Tuesday. Killings' trial is scheduled to begin on October 13.
BREAKING NEWS: Ron Killings fired from RuCo Sheriff's Department
By: LISA MARCHESONI, Post Senior Writer
February 7, 2010
Ron Killings sits in a Rutherford County courtroom with his lawyer during a pretrial motion.
Fate of a former sheriff’s detective charged with killing an 11-year-old girl in a automobile accident will rest with 12 Hamilton County jurors.
Former Sgt. Ron Killings faces trial Monday for reckless homicide of Lakeisha White of Hopkinsville, Ky., who was visiting relatives when killed at 8:45 p.m. July 17, 2008 on Bradyville Pike. Reckless homicide is defined as the reckless killing of another. The range of punishment is two to 12 years.
At the time of the crash, Murfreesboro Police said the investigation showed Lakeisha darted out in front of Killings who was en route to back up another detective on a burglary call. He did not have emergency lights or siren activated.
Because of pre-trial publicity, Circuit Court Judge David Bragg agreed to select a jury from Hamilton County.
Bragg, the prosecutor, defense attorneys, clerks and sheriff’s deputies will travel to Chattanooga where jury selection begins Monday. Once the jury of 12 and two alternates is selected, deputies will transport the jurors to Murfreesboro for opening statements and testimony set to begin Tuesday morning.
Because District Attorney William Whitesell’s office worked with Killings on his cases, the family asked for a special prosecutor. Former DA Joe Baugh of Franklin was appointed to prosecute the case.
During a pretrial hearing, Baugh said the report showed Killings’ vehicle traveled at 71 mph two seconds before his vehicle struck Lakeisha. The speed was 62.8 when the air bag deployed.
Killings was also indicted on charges of a tampering with evidence by concealing liquor bottles so the containers would not be available as evidence. In the false report charge, the indictment accused Killings of giving a false statement to Murfreesboro Police.
Those cases will be tried separately.
Baugh repeatedly said Killings was negligent when he disposed of the bottles instead of treating Lakeisha, who died later that night at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
One of the bottles contained a receipt linked to Killings.
But defense attorney Terry Fann said the prosecution didn’t have any witnesses to show Killings failed to aid the girl, causing her death.
The investigation has been controversial from the outset.
• While officers were investigating, witnesses told police Killings disposed of a bottle of alcohol just after the crash but investigators did not take the bottle as evidence.
• Murfreesboro Police allowed Killings to leave the scene. A test of Killings’ blood showed no presence of alcohol.
Because of a lack of alcohol in Killings’ blood, Bragg ruled evidence about the alcohol is not permitted at the reckless homicide trial.
• Baugh asked the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Critical Incident Crash Team to reconstruct the crash almost 15 months later. Because the street was improved since then, Fann argued to have the newest photographs kept from the jurors but Bragg denied his motion.
• In motions last week, Fann filed motions stating Killings was selectively prosecuted because he is black. Lakeisha was black. Fann reviewed 58 previous fatal crashes that didn’t involve alcohol showing only one person was prosecuted. Bragg, who reviewed the crashes, said the majority was not prosecuted because the offending driver died.
Lisa Marchesoni can be reached at 615-869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The jury has found former Rutherford County sheriff's detective Ron Killings not guilty of reckless homicide.
Police charged Killings with hitting and killing 11-year-old Lakeisha White with his unmarked squad car in July 2008.
Deliberations began around 5:20 p.m. Thursday after closing arguments. The jury deliberated for just under an hour.
After the verdict Lakeisha's aunt Kim Coleman was too upset to talk. Killings also left the courtroom without comment.
"We're delighted for Ron and his family right now," said Rutherford County Sheriff Truman Jones. "We're very happy with the verdict.
"He is relieved. It's been a long, long journey for him. It's been an uphill battle. It's been a long time since he's gotten some good news, to be honest with you. It's his birthday. It's been a great birthday present for him," said Killings' attorney Terry Fann.
Killings testified on his own behalf earlier in the day.
Killings was visibly upset during his tearful testimony. He said after that the impact, "I stayed there and at that point I was looking at her. I couldn't do anything for her."
He testified he first ran to the front of his vehicle, then the back looking for her – when he saw where she had been thrown to the side of the road.
"I wish he would just tell the truth because he tore our family apart," said Lakeisha's aunt Kim Coleman before the verdict.
The prosecution said Killings was driving more than twice the posted speed limit on Bradyville Pike. Killings testified that he was responding to a call for back-up in the area. He said his squad car was in stealth mode, meaning his lights and siren were not turned on.
Killings faces two more charges, one for tampering with evidence and one for giving a false statement.
The special prosecutor will decide in the next few weeks whether to move forward with other charges.
Rutherford County’s new sheriff made good on a campaign promise Wednesday when he fired Detective Sgt. Ron Killings.
“Detective Ron Killings was released from duty at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office here today,” Sheriff Robert Arnold said in a brief press conference.
Killings was rehired by former sheriff Truman Jones in early August after being cleared of wrong doing in a trial this spring and other charges were dropped afterward.
Arnold said Killings was an at-will employee and on probation since his rehiring.
“Under county regulations, an employee on probation may be released at any time with one year of employment,” he said.
Killings has been a controversial figure for the RCSO since he was tried for the hitting and killing 11-year-old girl Lakeisha White with his patrol car while en route to aid another officer July 17, 2007 on Bradyville Pike.
Killings was indicted for reckless homicide of White of Hopkinsville, Ky., filing a false police report and tampering with evidence.
Besides the homicide charge, Killings was accused of concealing a bottle of liquor so the container would not be used as evidence. Also, he was accused of giving a false statement to Murfreesboro Police investigating the crash. But those charges were dropped after he was cleared of wrongdoing in the reckless homicide case.
White’s family was very happy with Arnold’s announcement.
“We’re really happy about this,” said Kim Coleman, White’s aunt. “They need to get rid of all the crooked police officers.”
Rosie Collier, White’s grandmother said Killings’ firing won’t bring her granddaughter back, but it does bring closure to the family.
“He lived up to what he said he was going to do,” Collier said.
•••
In an unrelated matter, Arnold also announced Lisa Marchesoni, a former Murfreesboro Post news hound, will now serve as the RCSO's Public Information Officer.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - One of the court cases surrounding the death of 11-year-old Lakeisha White is over. A settlement has been reached between the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office and the family of the deceased girl.
Ron Killings, a Rutherford County Detective at the time, was behind the wheel of his patrol car when he struck the little girl, killing her in the summer of 2008.
NewsChannel 5 has learned that the family has reached a settlement, worth a little more than $200,000 in the civil case.
Witnesses claim that the Detective refused to help the girl at first.
The criminal case against Killings will begin next month. He's charged with reckless homicide.
Alabama and other states have been passing graduated driver's license laws to cut down on the number of accidents involving teenage drivers, but a new study indicates the laws may not be preventing the accidents, only delaying them.
A recent national study shows that strong driver's license laws have led to fewer fatal crashes among 16-year-olds, but with a disturbing side effect -- more fatal accidents among 18-year-olds.
Although it is difficult to draw too much significance from Alabama's 2010 figures, since the state's Graduated Driver License law did not go into effect until July 2010, the figures seem to support the national study.
Fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers dropped from 29 in 2009 to 24 in 2010. But fatal crashes involving 18-year-old drivers increased from 21 to 25.
The national study examined fatal crashes from 1986 to 2007 involving 16- to 19-year-olds. Results appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Most previous studies have also linked graduated licensing programs with a decline in fatal crash rates among young teens, but have cited mixed results for older teens.
Many states require young drivers to get extensive experience, including driving with an adult, before getting a full license. But in most states those laws only apply to those younger than 18. The new study suggests some teens are just putting off getting a license until they turn 18 -- meaning they have little experience and higher odds for a deadly crash.
Doing that could be particularly dangerous because 18-year-olds drive so much more than 16-year-olds would, said Robyn Litchfield, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman.
She said national studies indicate that 18-year-olds drive approximately twice as many miles annually as 16-year-olds and that this is likely because of increased parental monitoring and restrictions placed on the 16-year-olds.
The two factors combined in- dicate that 18-year-old drivers have about 250 percent more exposure as a function of miles driven annually compared to 16-year-old drivers.
"A significant increase in crashes, injuries and fatalities for 18-year-olds is expected," Litchfield said.
In Alabama, 15-year-olds are eligible for a Stage 1 (learner's) license. At 16, the teens may receive a Stage 2 (restricted) license once they pass the road skills test. Then, at 17, they are eligible for a Stage 3 (unrestricted license), according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
The national study authors analyzed fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and information on each state's licensing programs.
Comparing states with the most restrictions versus those with the weakest laws or no restrictions, there were 26 percent fewer fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. But among 18-year-old drivers, there were 12 percent more fatal crashes. The differences are estimates, taking into account factors that would also influence fatal crash rates, including seatbelt laws, changes in minimum speed limits, and the fact that 18-year-old drivers outnumber 16-year-old drivers.
Every state has some type of graduated driver's licensing program. These typically allow full, unrestricted licenses to kids younger than 18 only after several months of learning while driving with adults, followed by unsupervised driving with limits on things such as night driving and the number of passengers.
In Alabama, there were more fatal crashes involving 18-year-olds than 16-year-olds in years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. In 2009, there were eight more fatal crashes involving 16-year-olds than 18-year-olds, according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
Alabama has 57,237 licensed drivers who are 18 years old, and 46,068 licensed drivers who are 16 years old.
Researchers estimate that since the first graduated licensing program began in the nation in 1996, the programs have been associated with 1,348 fewer fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers, but with 1,086 more fatal crashes involving 18-year-old drivers.
During the 1986-2007 study, there were nearly 132,000 fatal crashes of drivers ages 16 to 19. Nearly 20 percent involved 16-year-old drivers, while almost 30 percent involved 18-year-olds.
Keith Kasarjian of Prattville worries most about teens' decision-making while driving, which is something he believes can only improve with experience. Kasarjian, whose daughter Molly Kasarjian received her license at age 16, also worries about distractions while driving, including cellphone usage and the radio.
The Kasarjians moved from Kentucky to Alabama when Molly was 16, and shortly after the teenager received her learner's permit. The state required her to have the permit for at least six months before receiving her license.
Having moved from Kentucky, where it was the law for teens to wait until age 17 to receive their license, Keith Kasarjian saw "first-hand the benefits of being older and having to log a certain number of hours in a variety of driving conditions."
A journal editorial by researchers with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said the potential effects in older teens "is a serious issue deserving attention by researchers and policymakers."
The editorial noted that New Jersey is one of the few states where graduated driver's licensing restrictions apply to all first-time applicants younger than 21. That has led to lower crash rates among 17- and 18-year-olds.
Whether these programs should be extended to include older teens merits further study, the editorial said.
The study examined fatal crashes from 1986 to 2007 involving 16- to 19-year-olds. Results appeared in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
BTW cops are the most dangerous drivers on the road.
