Well I first started driving when I was 15. I had no license, because you had to be at least 16 in PA at the time. Since I more or less was stealing my family car, I had a (tiny bit) more concern about how I was driving. Of course this was before cells and blackberries. The first day I drove, I had planned on only going around the block. But I found it much easier than I had expected and so drove around the whole day. I even went on the Parkway. No problems. I had several idiocy induced near misses in the comming months, but no metal to metal or flesh contact. I once actually hit 55 on some insanely sharp s curves and nearly lost control. The car zig zaged each time heading me towards a pole or tree. Luckily I did not hit and merely came to rest perpendicular in the road.
Some of my friends where not so lucky. One died and another wrapped the family car around a tree. Another rolled the family suburban. Seems like they should at least update the educational scare films. But then the'd have to start the drivers ed classes again.
Sure some people are bad drivers regardless of age and sex, but you can quantify the worst groups and do something about those. It would be great if young teens would see cars for the crap they are. Even a 50K Mercedies, is just a car--metal, plastic and gas. Unfortunatly the myth makers are so good at creating desire that teens think that they need a car to survive the social tensions of teenhood. Sad.