Trends
The ProblemMotor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 15-20. Although death is the ultimate consequence, over 272,000 teen drivers were injured in car crashes, according to a 2008 report given to Congress. Statistics state that one in every three 16-year-old drivers will be involved in a car crash during their first year of driving and young drivers are involved in fatal crashes twice as often as drivers between the ages of 35-44.
Contributing Factors to the Teen Crash Rate:
• Teens engage in riskier behavior due to immaturity and inexperience
• Teens are less likely to buckle up
• Teens are more likely to speed or drive too fast regardless of road conditions
• Teens are easily distracted when driving with other people in their car
• Teens are more likely to use new technology while driving (primarily cell phones)
In a 2005 study of visual scanning patterns between young drivers and adult drivers, research shows that teen drivers lack the ability to detect high-risk situations. They are also significantly less likely to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. Recent research suggests that areas of the brain used to make sound judgments are not fully developed until around the age of 25.
Traditional Drivers’ Education
Many studies conducted worldwide fail to provide sufficient evidence that drivers’ education programs actually decrease crash rates among teen drivers. Traditional driver education programs only include 30 hours of classroom theory and 6-10 hours of in-vehicle training. Experts agree that even though drivers’ education teaches basic rules of the road and safe driving practices, it is a teen’s inexperience and risk-taking attitude that contributes to the number of increased crashes in their age group.
Given the history of mixed results on the effectiveness of drivers’ education programs, it is unlikely that an education program alone would result in a dramatic reduction in teen crashes.
The Solution... A Paradigm Shift in Our Culture
Collision Guard was founded on the idea that our attitude towards highway safety can change and that America’s safe driving culture can evolve. Roads are made safer and vehicles are made with better technology, but in the end, each driver’s behavior is ultimately the strongest link to making highway travel safer for everyone.
Driving safety is everyone’s responsibility. Every action in a vehicle can affect the health and well-being of another person. Parents and grandparents continually worry about the safety of their young drivers and equally worry about their young drivers having to live with the burden of harming or taking the life of another person.
The Role of Parents
Experts believe parents have a lasting and life-saving role in preventing teen crashes, and that a parent has the greatest influence on teen driving behavior.
Talking with your teen about driving safety can help them steer clear of life-changing crashes. Collision Guard can help parents provide teens with good-driving information that seamlessly and creatively integrates into their life. Collision Guard’s monthly awareness videos build a platform for parents and even grandparents to help teens understand high-risk situations and build additional knowledge over time.
Graduated Drivers Licenses (GDL)
A GDL consists of a three-stage system that gradually introduces driving privileges. States are responsible for establishing and implementing a drivers’ education program, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a recommended standard for implementing GDLs. This standard includes recommended components and restrictions for states to consider.
• Stage 1: Learner’s Permit
• Meet the state-set minimum age requirement of 16 years old
• Pass both the vision and knowledge test (rules of the road, signs, and signals)
• Complete basic driver’s training
• A licensed driver, 21 years or older must be in the vehicle at all times
• All occupants must wear seat belts
• Teenage passenger restrictions
• No more than one teenage passenger for the first 12 months of possession of their intermediate license
• No more than two teenage passengers after the first 12 months until age 18
• Zero alcohol while driving
• The learner’s permit must be visually distinctive from other driver’s licenses
• Must remain crash-, conviction-, and violation-free (including seat belts, zero-tolerance, speeding, and other GDL provisions) for at least 6 consecutive months to advance to the next level
• Parental certification of 30 to 50 practice hours
• No use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices while driving
• Stage 2: Intermediate (Provisional) Permit
• Completion of Stage 1
• Must meet state-set minimum age requirement of 16.5 years old
• Completion of intermediate driver education training (e.g., safe driving decision-making, risk education, etc.)
• Stage 3: Full License
• Completion of Stage 2
• Must meet the state-set minimum age requirement of 18 for removal of the passenger and night-time restrictions
• Zero alcohol while driving
• Visually distinctive license for drivers under the age of 21
A Johns Hopkins University study showed a 20% reduction in fatal crashes among 16-year-olds who participated in a comprehensive GDL program. As of June 2008, 47 states and the District of Columbia have enacted a three-stage GDL.
