Driving for teens is a step towards independence, or the “key” to freedom. But immaturity and in experience add up to disaster for many teen drivers because each year some 6,000 teens are killed and another 300,000 are injured. This is an issue that has progressed throughout the past few years and is greatly endangering our communities.
Many problems have arose since more and more teens have been receiving there licenses. One of the most popular factors in accidents involving teenagers is their inexperience. Because they have less practice than other drivers they are at higher risk to make judgment errors to cause fatal accidents through out the community.
Immaturity is a contributing factor to the high rate of auto crashes and deaths among teenagers. For instance, tailgating and not using safety belts are misjudgments teens make more than older drivers.
There are many solutions to the problems the communities face while teenager are driving. One way to make students better drivers with exposed them to hands on experience is Driver’s Education. This course is offered through some schools, but any student can take it in any other district if they choose. Each course has minimum requirements to pass and to get the benefits of Driver’s Ed. After passing this course, 10% is taken off of your insurance bill and, when you turn 17 you can drive past nine. These are just a few perks you can receive after taking this helpful driving course.
Besides Driver’s Education, the Graduated Licensing programs have won widespread support from parents’ groups and law-enforcement officials, who have long contended that teenagers are allowed to take to the roads with too little practical experience. It seems to be to often that parents just hand over the keys and hope for the best for their children. The Graduated Driver’s License law provides for three phases of licensing for persons under 18 years of age. This law also increases parental involvement in their child's experiences of driving. If for some reason a person fails their road test four times, they must complete a minimum of six hours of behind the wheel instruction with a licensed instructor before their fifth test. An applicant who is 18 years old and has not previously held a license, they must first begin with a permit for six months before scheduling a road test. But applicants who are 19 years of older must only have a permit for three months. Studies have shown that this Graduated License had brought down crash statistics steadily.
Another solution that was most recently created is called the Vanessa's law. In May of 2004, this law went into effect regarding Vanessa Weiss, who was killed in May 2003 just day before her 16th birthday. She just so happened to be a passenger in a vehicle driven by an unlicensed 15 year old. This law is directed towards the teenager drivers under the age of 18. An unlicensed teen who received a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol/controlled substance-related violation cannot be given a license, including an instruction permit or provisional license, until age 18. When this person turns 18, s/he must pass the driver’s license knowledge test, obtain an instruction permit and hold it for at least six months, and then pass the road test. A tentative license holder whose driving privilege was taken away due to a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol substance-related violation cannot regain a license until age 18. But in order to obtain their license again a fee must be paid which could add up to $700, depending on the circumstances. Then a driver’s education course, driver’s license knowledge test, and a drivers behind he wheel class needs to be completed while having you permit for at least three months before retaining you license.
All of these solutions have been great influences on crash statistics and have decreased the crash ratings throughout the years. These laws and solutions encourage teens to make better choices, which can be hard when faced with peer pressure. If a law is in place, it’s easier to say no to risky behavior. The law backs them up on their good decisions.
Teen driving has had more of a negative impact than a positive one. Crashes not only cause serious physical and emotional pain, they are costly. In the past year car wrecks involving teen drivers cost the taxpayers $42.3 billion for emergency services, medical and rehabilitation costs, productivity losses and property damage, according to the national Traffic Safety Administration.
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If someone wants to do something stupid badly enough, they probably will despite what the law says. Recently my state made it so that those between 15 1/2 and 18 must have their permit for 6 months, have at least 40 hours of daytime driving and 10 hours of night time driving and have taken an approved drivers ed course. Those who obtain their license cannot drive with others in the car under 18 who are not immediate family for the first three months. I think that this adequately takes care of many auto accidents. I also think that these statistics are biased. Many times they will only show the statistics for teens and not other age groups to make it seem like teen drivers are horrible. But, really, what is the difference between a 16 year old getting their license and a 36 year old getting their license for the first time? They are both inexperienced behind the wheel and either one can make good or bad decisions. I say that you shouldn't just pinpoint teens as the problem and look at the issue more retrospectively.
Not all teens are bad drivers and my state rewards the teens that do drive safely. You can get your learning permit withing thirty days prior to your 15th birthday. Then after holding it for a year, as long as you pass a driver's education course or pass the written, driving, and eye tests at the DMV, you can get your license where you can drive with only one related person in the car and you can't drive between the hours of 12:00 am to 6:00 am unless you are on your way to or from a school related activity. If a 17 year old has had their license for a year and hasn't had any crashes or tickets, then they can get their full unrestricted license as a 17 year old. Most people don't get that, but for those that do drive safe, it is a nice reward for them. I think that our state needs to prevent teens who drive stupidly from getting their license. My government class talked about tickets for some reason and one kid said she got a $300 fine for driving 45mph in a residential 25mph zone.