TEENS: Not too long ago, our column told of the tragic deaths of two teenage athletes who were killed because the driver exceeded the speed limit, missed a curve and crashed into a tree. The newspaper ran pictures of shocked fellow students at the crash site — all with somber faces finding it difficult to come to the realization that two popular young men were dead.

Another devastating accident was recently brought to my attention when a reader sent the front page of their local newspaper with a similar accident photo showing stunned fellow students at another crash site. Two teenage girls were killed when the automobile one of them was driving also crashed into a tree.

The newspaper stated that three mistakes commonly made by young, inexperienced drivers — excess speed, overcrowding, and not wearing safety belts — all contributed to this tragedy.

According to the police, the driver appeared to have crossed over railroad tracks too fast, causing the car to go airborne. The passengers were unbelted, so when the car came down, the girls in the back seat fell forward, pushing the driver into the steering wheel and dashboard and forcing her foot to be heavier on the accelerator. The car lunged forward out of control and crashed into a tree at about 65 miles per hour. Even though the driver was wearing a safety belt, she died on impact as did one of the unbelted passengers. The four other passengers were hospitalized.

Police said the driver was not trying to intentionally jump the tracks; she was just going too fast on a street that she didn't know that well. Alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash, but under state law there were too many teens in the car. This law was intended to limit some of the distractions that are blamed for crashes involving young drivers. When a teen driver has five passengers or more, it is about three times more likely that the driver would be in a fatal accident, according to research completed by Johns Hopkins University.

This crash was a grim reminder that teens continue to have the lowest rate of safety-belt use. And they think they are invincible — but they are not!

The girls, all high school juniors, were headed back to school for summer flag and dance team practices after getting snacks from a fast food restaurant.

Unfortunately, youthful exuberance robbed them of this wonderful experience.

HAIR SHOULD BE WASHED DAILY

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and dating for the first time. She's a really nice girl and I like her a lot. We always have fun together. I'm trying to make a good impression on her, but one thing that bothers me is that I have dandruff. When I shower, I don't wash my hair (except once a week) because I read that washing one's hair takes away the natural oils and causes dry scalp, and that means dandruff. What causes dandruff and what can I do to get rid of it? — Nameless, Lake Charles, La.

NAMELESS: Dandruff is caused by an overproduction of skin cells on the scalp. These excess cells (dandruff) are then shed. Everyone, at one time or another, has dandruff to some degree. Medicated dandruff shampoos are effective if you follow directions. It is recommended that you wash your hair on a daily basis if you have dandruff.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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