This is really sobering. Options

[KaptKaos]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Colum...rticleId=124526

Its about that kid that launched the M5 off the runway and died. Evidently, he was on a forum, not unlike this one. The M5 board seems to be down right now.

Since I can't read the forum, and see what people were posting, I'll need to wait until it's online. But I can't help but think that maybe someone could have reasoned with him not to drive so fast. Terribly sad.

[rick 918-S]

This is a repete-able event. Everyone with children on this BBS should make a pact with all of us to learn from this.

I'm going to share something here. One of my sons is a car guy. I will always remember his first drive by himself after getting his lic. at age 16. He asked if he could go to a friends house about 3 miles away. We had been practicing driving with a manual transmission and he was proficient enough with it to opporate the clutch in normal traffic. He asked if he could take my E12 530I.

As you all know Nothing I own is ever stock and this car was no exception. 5 sp conversion, free flow 533I manifolds, open exhaust, lamda injection conversion, etc. I tossed him the keys and told him to be careful. His face lit up with a beaming grin and his buddy could hardly contain he excitment. It felt good to me as well. But I knew this could go both ways.

I went up to my office on the third floor of my house. As he rolled away from the house everything was cool. But with my office window open I could hear him drop the hammer and wind up my big 6 2 blocks from the house. I called him on his cell phone and busted him!

Then I got on the net and signed him up for the Teen Driving Clinic through the Northstar Chapter of the BMWCCA. By the time the class arrived We had Purchased a VW GTI from the Salvage auction and completed the repairs together. This was a very enlightning experience for him. He brought 3 friends with him. They all went through the instruction and we talked about safe ways to enjoy your car in controlled environments.

After that day I allowed him to take my E36 M3 to school. I'm sure he had his moments. When the cats away... you know. But he'll be 21 soon and has never had an accident or ticket... yet.

I'm not saying I'm a perfect parent, I'm far from it. But I'm just saying we need to do what we can to teach our children.

I'm confident that the things I did helped. AS I stated above, not all kids mature the same. The photos of my M3 posted above were the result of a kid with no instruction. Before I sold the car to that kid I had the talk with him. I cautioned him about the car and told him he should take the Teen Driving School. His parents were divorced, (his dad was a detective...) But they payed no attension to him. Thankfully both kids in that car are alive.

Learn from this and teach your children well.