Teens and Driving

 

There are some things that a teenager looks forward to in their life and getting their license and a car is one of the top contenders. Teens can't wait for the freedom of being able to take themselves places and it is the first major step to them being more independent. Unfortunately, their road dreams are their parent's worst nightmare. It has been proven that teenagers are not the best drivers and laws continuously try to regulate the amount of time that teens can spend on the roads. This article will look at why teenage driving is such a major issue and discuss some of the ways our country is trying to correct the problem. If you have a teenager thinking about driving, you might need to know this information.

 

For teenage drivers, the statistics do not lie. When compared to any other age group they have the worst driving record. Every year teenagers are involved in more crashes compared to other age groups and these accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers. That statistic alone proves how dangerous it is for children on the roads. The National Safety Council estimates that by enforcing the GDL laws more than 2,000 lives will be save annually and there would be a financial savings in the billions of dollars.

 

What are the GDL laws? These laws were introduced in the early 2000s. The aim was to make the period of a teenager getting their license a more gradual experience. Instead of a teenager being set free on the roads at the age of 16 there is now a waiting time. The learning permit still exists for teenagers but instead of being 15 they now have to be 16. After they turn 16 they enter a learner stage. During this stage the driver still has to be supervised even though they have a license. After this stage the driver then enters the intermediate phase. During this phase teenagers are no longer required to have supervision, but there are still restrictions to when they are allowed to drive and with whom. The final stage is the next step. During this the teenager will have an unrestricted license and be able to drive with the same laws as all other drivers.

 

Many wonder if this even helps. Laws already raised the drinking age and put a curfew on when teenagers could be on the roadways, so is the extra measure really needed? Research has proven that it does help. Of course it does not cure the problem but there are undeniable reductions. Accidents saw a decrease of 34% when an injury was involved, and fatal accidents saw a 19% reduction. That may not seem like a big number but that is almost 400 lives that are saved every year from a fatal crash.

Though they seem like they are hindering the young driver, these laws are actually trying to save their lives. It is something that has been hard for teens to adjust to as many thought they would be 16 and hitting the roads. However as future generations hit the driving age these new laws will seem more like a stepping stone because they will not know that at one point people got their license at a younger age.