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.