Teen Driving Study Sees Need for Addressing Attitudes, Peer Influences – Not Just Rules and Skills

November 7, 2005

  • November 7, 2005 at 9:08 am
    Dennis Damon says:
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    We lost our grandson and his best friend in a car crash caused by a 16 year old Intermediate Driver in May, 04.
    I have read and kept up to date on all the studies on teen drivers since losing our boys.
    Based on all I have read and in my personal experience, until the GDL laws in this country start holding parents more accountable for allowing their teens to obtain a driver license these teen car crash deaths and injuries will continue at alarming rates.
    Parents are the only contorls we have over teens that obtain their license.
    Far too many parents sign for their teens license and just turn them loose as if driving was a right of passage rather than a privelge.
    In almost every incident where a teen has killed other teens in these car crashes, the parents hire a good lawyer to save their child from the consequenses the parents created by not following enforcing the restrictions.
    Most states, even though they depend on parents to enforce the GDL law restrictions, don\’t even require parents to know or understand what the restrictions are.
    We adults are much at fault for the teen driver tragedies because we are not doing enough to keep our children safe while they are to learning the skills to become safe drivers.

  • November 7, 2005 at 2:49 am
    Concerned Agent says:
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    As a society, we cannot expect our teens to be safe just because they sit thru driver\’s ed. There needs to be a cultural shift in our attitudes towards driving. We need to start a dialog early in the lives of our children to teach them to be responsible drivers.

  • November 7, 2005 at 3:25 am
    umpire says:
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    As a parent of two teenage boys, I cannot emphasize enough that the largest problem here is distraction issues. Hence, my sons two \”Dad rules\” that are enforced with a vengence:
    1) No cell phone use, make nor receive, while driving at any time.
    2) Mandated vehicle of 1/2 ton pickup, where no more than 2 passengers ever allowed.
    Punishment?… loss of use of vehicle for 30 days for first offense, and 60 days for second offense (never got to that stage, so no need for a third offense rule!).

    I will never accept \”cell phone restrictions\” for adult drivers… it\’s a liberty thing with me. However, I would applaud a teenager for getting a ticket for cell phone use any time operating a vehicle, and suggest such a law be put into place for drivers 16-18, as well as any driver for the first 12 months of their initial license.

    Learn to DRIVE, before you learn to drive and play with the cell phone… or eat lunch… seems pretty simple to me.

  • November 8, 2005 at 2:45 am
    Vancouver says:
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    Hi: in BC (Canada) we have a graduated licensing system. You have a Leaners \”L\” license for 1 year. You are only allowed one passenger other than your teacher. The teacher must be over 25 yrs of age and hold a full license. You can reduce this 1 year time period if you attend Young Drivers of Canada (the approved driving program) After one year you can take your test and if you pass then you would hold a Novice \”N\” designation for 2 years. Here you are only allow one non family member passenger (thus eliminating distractions in your car called friends).

    On both designations their is a ZERO tolernce limit for drug & alcohol. There is serious consequences for accidents & driving infractions.

    These rules are in place regardless of age. I know in other provinces they already have implemented laws against cell phone use in vehicles. (I think you are okay if it is a hands free cell phone).

  • November 9, 2005 at 10:17 am
    STEVE says:
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    I would like to see a simnliar program like BC in my state. The one thing I stressed with my kids is to learn to THINK and drive. Too often, they would do something stupid and say that they didn\’t think it would happen to them. A structured program would be helpful where they are held accountable, no \”I\’m sorry\’s\” allowed. As for cellphone use, I think people ought to realize that multi-tasking is not acceptable in certain jobs, where distractions are dangerous so it makes sense to me that one should devote all their attention to the road. My kids thought that I made driving look easy so they didn\’t take it seriously. It\’s just as dangerous as submarining or space travel: one \”OOPS\” can doom you….such as the Kursk or the space shuttle Columbia…..

  • November 9, 2005 at 11:55 am
    Vancouver says:
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    Hi Steve: you can find information to pass to your state gov\’t on the gradudated licensing program in BC on the following web site.

    http://www.icbc.com/Licensing/index.html

    The insurance company also recommends a contract to be signed between the parent and the new driver.

    Our climate is quite mild in BC (we don\’t get much snow in the winter) so enforcing that new drivers drive for 1 year means that they gain experience with all kinds of weather conditions with a teacher to aid them.

    Hope this helps.

  • November 10, 2005 at 4:07 am
    steve says:
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    Vancouver, thanks for the info; I will pass it along to my local representatives; I know MADD would be ann advocate of better driving rules. Appreciate it.

  • November 10, 2005 at 5:41 am
    Dennis says:
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    People need to have a contrct with their teens long before they are getting their driver license.
    My grandson was killed in a car driven by a 16 year old Intermediate Driver.
    Even though he was only allowed to ride with two other 17 year old drivers his parents trusted. The night he was killed, the parents of the driver invited him to ride in their son\’s car. This was done without the knowledge or consent of my grandson\’s parents.
    You not only need to protect your child from other teen drivers, you also need to protect them from other teen drivers parents.
    There are many more teen passengers killed and injured in teen car crashes then there are teen drivers.
    Don\’t wait until they are about to get their license before you set strong rules about who they can ride with and who can give them permission to break your rules.



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