Last week was National Teen Driver Safety Week, a week when organizations across the country and in Connecticut got the message out to parents and their teens: drive safely. Motor vehicle accidents are still the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. In fact, teenagers are involved in fatal accidents three times as often as older drivers.
Inexperience, immaturity, drinking and driving, distracted driving (including texting while driving) and nighttime driving are some of the main factors that contribute to Connecticut auto crashes involving teen drivers.
Connecticut understands the importance of teaching teens to drive safely. Since 2007, it has had the strictest graduated licensing rules in the U.S. And these rules save lives. Between 2007 and 2009, crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers decreased by 28 percent.
The rules include:
- During the first six months, newly licensed teen drivers may not drive with anyone other than a licensed parent or guardian.
- During the first year, newly licensed teen drivers may not drive with other teens in their car.
- Teens must be off Connecticut roads by 11:00 p.m.
- Teens must participate in double the amount of behind-the-wheel training than previously required.
- Parents must take a two-hour teen driving seminar before their children can receive licenses.
- Teenagers who break these rules will have their licenses revoked for 48 hours.
Many parents disagree with the rules because they are restrictive. Connecticut DMV spokesman William Seymour answers their plea to lessen the restrictions by saying, “How many members of your family are you willing to risk losing?” Teenagers are not experienced and their brains are not fully developed, making them a risk for everyone on the road.
The results show. Not only is the number of Connecticut teen car accidents down, but convictions for distracted driving, DUI and failure to wear a seat belt are also down, as well as the number of teenagers who have licenses.
Source: Newstimes.com, “Teen driver laws frustrate some; officials say they save lives,” Tom Cleary and Brian Lockhart, Dec. 6, 2011.