NZ teens death rate one of the highest in the world. From the Dominion Post:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6807590/Kiwi-teens-death-rate-second-highest-study

Of course it is. NZ drivers go onto the roads with Weetbix licenses. There should be mandatory driving lessons for all new drivers.  A certain proportion of drivers can fluke a test but that doesn’t mean they are a good driver. It does’t mean they have had messages of impulse control rammed home to them.

“A league table of road deaths – the single-biggest killer of young people worldwide – showed only the US had more young women die on the road, and road deaths among young men in New Zealand were the fourth highest behind the US, Greece and Portugal”.

I would say that these league tables do not reflect the reality of the roads in the states vs New Zealand. If I come back to New Zealand, I will avoid driving as much as I can. New Zealand roads are a death trap. United States roads are a wonder to behold. If anything the economies of scale may effect the figures. You are less likely to die on the roads but more people will die if an accident happens. Recently in San Francisco a five car pile up closed the Golden Gate Bridge in both directions when the driver of a car north bound swathed lanes into the path of an oncoming car. It caused a series of chain reaction collisions that left three people hospitalized with severe injuries.

I always snigger when reading about the California Highway Patrol. I was an avid fan of C.H.I.P.S when younger and I still point and smile when I see them.

The freeways in the States are arterial and cars pour over the hills in either direction. But I would put my money on it being safer overall to drive in the U.S.

The elephant in the middle of the room phenomenon:
We condone our young people drinking from a young age. This message was well and truly reinforced with lowering the drinking age. Everybody’s experience with drinking is their own business and for some their own struggle. The brain is not mature until 25yrs plus and before that every new drinker is a potential problem drinker. Every generation there seems to be more young problem drinkers. They’re all hanging out in Courtenay Place on the weekends and the other NZ town centers.  You don’t see as many groups of drunks in the town centers of the States.

We’re so big on the rights of individuals in New Zealand and personal liberty that our laws don’t work sensibly. We need to stop pandering to groups whether they be liquor barons or groups of 18 yr olds and pass laws that engender the best possible quality of life for the community.

I had friends commit suicide growing up. Disease of no hope. Caused by a combination of bullying, addiction and a lack of perceived future employment prospects I would say. I wonder if there is a correlation with how socialist a country is to how high the suicide rate among youths.