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STANDUP for Teen Driver Safety
Reports indicate that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for United States teenagers. A graduated driver license system may help keep teens safe.
May 31, 2010 /Parenting PR News/ -- STANDUP for Teen Driver Safety
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for United States teenagers. In 2008, approximately 3,500 U.S. teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries resulting from automobile accidents. Although drivers aged 15 to 24 represent only 14 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 30 percent of the total costs of vehicular injuries among males and 28 percent among females.
Graduated Driver Licensing
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a national evaluation maintains that states with a three-stage graduated driver license system had 11 percent fewer fatal crashes per population of 16 year old drivers from 1994-2004 than states without such systems. On April 28, 2010, Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2010, also called the STANDUP Act. The act instructs states to adopt a licensing process which includes two stages before drivers under 21 can obtain an unrestricted driver's license.
Learner's Permit Stage
Teens are not eligible for a learner's permit until they are 16 years of age and the driver must stay in the learner's permit stage for at least six months. Learner's permitted drivers must:
* Complete at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old
* Complete a driver's training course
* Be accompanied and supervised by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old whenever driving
Intermediate Stage
After six months in the learner's permit phase, teens enter the intermediate stage. Intermediate stage drivers cannot drive with more than one non-familial passenger under the age of 21 in the automobile unless there is a licensed driver over the age of 21 also present. Drivers must also stay in the intermediate stage for six months.
Additional Restrictions and Conditions
In both stages, night driving is prohibited, as is use of cellular phones or any communications device, except in emergency situations. An unrestricted driver's license will be automatically delayed for any driver who, in the either stage, is convicted of a driving-related offense.
Opposition to STANDUP
Critics of the bill say that states should maintain the authority to write licensing laws that best fit their diverse needs. For example, in an editorial to the Daily News the writer opined that while 14 1/2 may be too young to learn to drive on urban roads in New York City, it may be appropriate in agricultural states where children drive to help with farm work.
According to a recent USA Today article, every state except for North Dakota has a three-phase licensing program for teen drivers. Some states already limit nighttime driving and the number of teenaged passengers that can be in the vehicle. The article quotes Rob Foss, director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as saying, "It's not a GDL act at all. It's a raise-the-driving age act." Currently, 42 states allow learner's permits before the age of 16.
States that do not timely comply with the minimum requirement would face the loss of funding for federal highways.
Safety Precautions
Parents can take some safety precautions with their teen drivers regardless of whether the bill passes. Safety measures may include:
* Always reminding teenagers to wear their seat belt correctly
* Prohibiting phone calls or texting while driving: As reported in the findings of the Act, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims that the cognitive distraction caused by hands-free and handheld cellular phones is significant enough to degrade driver's performance, particularly teenage drivers
* Limiting the number of other teens that can be the car with a teenaged driver
* Observation of evening curfew for driving: Also stated in the findings is an American Automobile Association statistic that although only 20 percent of driving by teenage drivers occurs at night, more than 50 percent of motor vehicle crash fatalities involving teenage drivers occur at night
A lawyer can help assess potential claims for victims of car accidents or for parents of teens involved in car accidents. Contacting an attorney quickly after an accident can be helpful while memories are fresh and evidence can be preserved.
Article provided by Jacobs & Jacobs
Visit us at www.jacobs-jacobs.com
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