Editorial: What example are we setting for teen drivers?

It is with a frustrated and heavy heart that once again we must report on two more vehicle fatalities that occurred in Lake County again this week, bringing the total number of vehicle deaths to six in just a little more than two weeks.

Speed and alcohol were the primary factors in all of these deaths.

We know that readers don't always like reading about the "bad" news, and especially the loss of human lives, but it is our hope that in reporting such events, maybe some good will come of it.

That is why we report when alcohol is involved, when speed is a factor, and when passengers and drivers aren't wearing their seatbelts. We know that for the families involved, this must be a terrible ordeal to go through, but it is our hope that maybe someone, somewhere, will remember to put their seatbelt on next time they drive to work, or think twice before driving home after having a few beers, or remember to ease off the gas next time they are in a hurry.

But at some point, we as a community must ask ourselves, "What is it going to take to put a stop to this?"

Sometimes these tragedies are due to the youthful inexperience, but that wasn't the case in these latest accidents, all of which involved adult drivers. And this begs the question, if the teenage drivers in our communities can't look up to us to set a good example, then what hope do we have of preventing future deaths on our roadways?