Tag Archive: teen driver
Poor Decision Making a Key Factor in Teen Driving Accidents and Fatalities?
January 25, 2008
There was a recent editorial on teen driving on teenspeakonline.com and it addressed the new driving laws in Illinois as well as the ineffectiveness that they expect them to have. This editorial says that teen drivers are not necessarily bad ones but rather they make poor decisions. Hmmm … this is no new news to many people.
The editorial goes on to say that teen drivers are a bigger risk because they put themselves into more and more risky driving situations. Yes, this is definitely true and then the editorial goes on to say politicians are well-meaning in their approval and passing of newer, stricter driving laws but that they are not going to do any good. Now this is where things get a little interesting.
The teen writing this editorial goes on to say that the new laws are increasing the waiting time a teen has in order to receive their license but not increasing the practice time requirement. They believe that the extra wait time infers the need for additional practice time. This is likely accurate because it is definitely hopeful that teens will not just sit around waiting for the magical day but rather do something constructive like practice.
This teen editorial goes on to say that the new laws which increase the restriction of driving with more than one teen passenger in the car is getting bumped from 6 months to a year and teens do not understand this law. This editorialist continues on that their driver’s education class just spouts off the new laws but does not talk about the “whys” of it all. Ok, this is where the teen starts to make excuses for their generation. Basically the gist is that because teens don’t understand some of the laws that mean they are going to break them anyway. What?
Teenagers want adults to give them some credit (meaning common sense) when it comes to driving and yet the teen editorialist is basically pleading some type of ignorance saying that teens don’t understand why some of these laws are being put in place? Teens are savvy and they know exactly why these laws are being passed – because their peers are being killed!
Teen Driving Privileges Linked to School Attendance
July 31, 2007
There’s a new state law in Illinois that is supposed to crack down on teen driving privileges. The gist of it all is basically that teens that are truant in school and cut classes or are expelled could have their driving permits suspended until they turn 18. Apparently, lawmakers want to provide incentive for kids to stay in school.
There is some debate as to whether this new law will work or not. Various versions of this law have been passed in other states but the verdict is still out as to how well it is working. Eighteen unexcused absences, expulsion or dropping out are three ways that teenagers can lose their driving permits in Illinois.
Skeptics wonder how much of an impact this can have on teenagers. If they are aware of this new law long before they are eligible for driving, perhaps it will make some impression on those new teens that are starving for a little independence that driving can bring. However, exactly how is this new law going to be relayed to the teenagers that could be affected by it now?
Are schools going to go out of their way to broadcast this change? Chances are they will claim that they do not have adequate resources. Plus, teenagers have to do something drastic in order to have their driving permits revoked. By the time cutting classes or expulsion are caught, it is almost too late to do anything about it anyway. And 18 unexcused absences are quite excessive. Wouldn’t it be more effective if the requirement were half that?
The bottom line is while the law has good intentions, the problems lies in reinforcing it. Schools are overextended already. How is that information about unexcused absences, truancy and expulsion going to be relayed to the powers that be? Who is planning to do all the following up? It could literally take several years before the law really catches on and the truancy problems start to decline.
In the meantime, you have teens who would likely continue to drive even with truancy problems at school. Their misdeeds could literally take months to catch up with them in the form of a revoked driving permit. And for some, they could age out before they reap any consequences. That is not much of a slap on the wrist is it? This new law is a bit hazy still on how everything is supposed to play out. It will just have to be a wait and see game.
Driving Simulation Course a Great Tool for Better Driving
July 24, 2007
There’s a new course called Tragedy Prevention whose sole goal is to educate drivers about the dangers of the road in the hopes that accidents could be prevented. This is an excellent tool for not just reckless adult drivers who need driver’s education training, but also for new teenage drivers who need to be acclimated to the ways for the road.
Book learning in driver’s education can only take teens so far. Practical experience driving the roads definitely helps but they also need to experience potential dangerous situations so that they can anticipate their next moves and possible avoid a fatal accident. This Tragedy Prevention course is definitely a step in the right direction.
While this course is geared toward reckless drivers who may have had privileges suspended, there is also a special WHEELS program geared just for teens that is filling the driver’s education need since so many high schools are no longer offering the courses. What is so great is that teenagers are put through the paces in a simulator with different situations such as a tire blowout, driving at night or even dangerous weather conditions.
Typically, a teenager will not usually experience this in a real life training situation. However, at some point in their young life, these situations may happen. And without the proper guidance and anticipation of a solution, these teens could die in an accident. The purpose of Tragedy Prevention is to ensure that these teens understand the different dangers on the road and that sometimes, they themselves are the problem.
This training class shows teens through various simulations exactly what happens if they become distracted by cell phone texting or even if they drive under the influence. For many teens, it is quite an eye opener to be faced with their potential of mortality. And while most have admitted to driving and texting or drinking, many vow after the class that they will not do it again. That is great news for the teen participants of the class.
With some money and luck, perhaps other areas of the country will offer similar programs. Only with ready access in each and every state can this class work for teens. So, if you do not have any program such as Tragedy Prevention in your area, look and see what you can do to try and bring it to your area. Talk with legislators at the local and state levels and see what you all can do to pitch in together to keep our teens safe and educated about the hazards of the road.
A Lesson a Driver-in-Training Will Never Forget
July 2, 2007
We all know that inexperienced teen drivers are dangerous to themselves and others. The statistics are very real. Auto crashes are the number one killer of young people, and yet teens continue to believe the worst won’t or can’t happen to them. For most teens, it would take the worst happening to them to learn about safe driving the hard way. That is exactly what happened to one teenager last week, in a tragic turn of events that will most likely haunt his life forever.
A 15-year-old teen driver from Oroville, California, killed his own mom when his driving inexperience led to a horrific crash. The Northern California teen driver was behind the wheel of the family car, being given driving lessons, when a maneuver he made caused the car to crash into a drainage ditch 10 feet wide and 5 feet deep. In the front passenger seat was his stepfather, while his mom and her new baby were in the backseat.
All escaped with minor injuries, except for the teen’s mother, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teen suffered cuts to his hand, while his stepfather fractured his collarbone. The baby in the back seat was unharmed. Though all were wearing seat belts, the force of the collision combined with lack of airbags in the backseat resulted in the injuries to the teen’s mother.
How could such a sad event unfold? Apparently, while driving around, the teen’s stepfather made the remark to “turn right here.” Unfortunately, inexperience means that the teen probably misunderstood the instructions to take a right turn as instructions to turn right away, or right now. This miscommunication came at a huge cost.
While it is easy to see how an crash such as this occurred, it is another reminder of how big a role lack of experience plays in the deadliness of crashes caused by teen drivers. It makes one wonder if driving lessons and all hours of training behind a wheel should be done on controlled courses. However, in that instance, teens wouldn’t gain the experience that teaches them what it’s really like to deal with the distractions and frustrations of real-world driving.
There is no doubt in my mind that this young man will feel at fault in his mother’s death, though it seems to me to be nothing more than a very tragic, ill-timed crash.
Florida Police Officers Worry About Distraction and Safety
April 27, 2007
As the parent of a teenage driver, Police Chief Roger Boatner, of Lakeland, Florida worries when his daughter is behind the wheel. However, his worries are not with her own driving skills or with the locations she visits. He worries most about the many drivers he sees doing nearly everything but driving as they cruise down the street.
Those who spend even a few seconds changing a CD, answering the cell phone, or taking a bite of a sandwich can cause a serious accident. Other troopers agree with the seriousness of the problem of distracted driving. Larry Coggins of the Florida State Highway Patrol claims that in every crash there can be some type of driver error found.
Many studies have been done on the effects of cell phones and other distractions while driving. While exact numbers have varied, the basic results have been the same.
- Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute found that drivers who talk on cell phones are 4 times more likely to be involved in a serious crash.
- The National Highway Traffic Administration carried out a study, which found that more than 75% of crashes and 66% of near misses occurred when drivers were engaged in conversations on cell phones.
- The University of Utah carried out an experiment that resulted in the conclusion that drivers talking on cell phone were just as impaired as an intoxicated driver.
Results such as these have caused a few states to pass laws prohibiting all drivers from talking on cell phones while behind the wheel. Even more states have implemented similar laws, but focused them only on teenage drivers. Unfortunately, Florida is yet to have created one of these laws.
The Sheriff’s Office in Polk County, Florida has decided that these messages are so important that they have placed them on their phone system as a hold message. Additionally, they remind drivers of the importance of wearing their seat belts.
The Polk Sheriff’s Office handled 50 traffic deaths within their jurisdiction. Of these, officers believe that at least 14 lives would have been saved if the victims had been wearing a seat belt. To prevent more of these accidents from claiming the lives of young people, Florida has enacted a law allowing officers to pull cars over if passengers under the age of 18 years old are seen unrestrained.