• 19
  • January
    2012

A study was released late last year that argues 2,000 lives and over $13 billion per year could be saved by the uniform enactment of graduated driving licenses (GDL) for teen drivers' by all 50 states.

A GDL restricts when 16- and 17-year-old drivers can drive, limits who can be in the car when they are driving and prohibits cell phone and texting by the driver.

Why Is This Necessary?

To the parent of any 16-year-old, the prospect of them driving is both a blessing and a curse. A parent can finally offload some the responsibility of shuttling their active child from school, to extra-curricular activities, like sports, music lessons, a part-time job and visiting friends.

The curse is the added expense of extra driving, gas and insurance. Especially insurance and every parent knows why the insurance for a teen driver is so painfully expensive.

Teen Driving Statistics

The Centers for Disease Control notes that driving is leading cause of death for teens, and some of their other numbers are equally grim: "In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle accident injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash."

Teen drivers, especially 16-year-old drivers, are dangerous. 16-year-old drivers' suffer almost two and an half times the number of accidents that drivers in the 20-to-24-year-old range. They are inexperienced, excited to be driving and easily distracted.

The Graduated Driving License

The GDL attempts to address these problems by restricting teen drivers to daylight hours, as nighttime driving is inherently more dangerous, accounting for almost 40 percent of teen deaths.

In addition, the number of other teen passengers is limited, as studies have shown that having other teens in the car with a teen driver increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents. With three or more teens in a car the risk of a fatal crash is increased three times that of the driver alone.

Parents can help their teen drivers, even if their state does not have GLD restrictions in place. Help teen drivers avoid cell phone use and texting, do not let them drive at night and do not allow them to drive with other teens their age. If necessary, drive them yourself. While it may be inconvenient, it is far less so than being faced with a serious or fatal car accident.

Source: MSNBC.com, "Study: Tougher Teen Driving Laws Would Save Lives and Money," M. Alex Johnson, 12/2011.