Ready for the road? Some teens wheely upset about new road rules - News Debate www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/teens/teenager.htm

WHAT'S THE NUMBER-ONE killer of teens? It's not dying of embarrassment. It's car crashes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, auto accidents are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. In 2002, some 8,278 teen drivers were involved in fatal car crashes. About 20 percent of 16-year-olds will be involved in an accident during their first year of driving. The numbers say it all. Teens behind the wheel are accidents waiting to happen.

Though most states already have some sort of graduated license program that slowly expands driving privileges, many states hope to further curb teen driving rights.

Connecticut recently placed a slew of restrictions on teen drivers, including strict passenger limitations. A similar bill is in the works in Michigan. Colorado has the same idea, plus two other bills to put the brakes on teen drivers. One measure would increase the age at which teens receive their learner's permits--from 15.5 to 16--unless kids take driver's education. The other Colorado bill would ban the use of cell phones by drivers with learner's permits.

Not So Fast!

More road restrictions drive some teens crazy. They point out that there are bad drivers of all ages and say it's unfair to single out teens. Why punish all teens for the mistakes of a few?

"Maturity doesn't start at age 18; it differs with ages and people," wrote high-school senior Jessica L. Durga in an editorial in the Detroit Free Press. She also noted that passenger restrictions are unfair because "passengers often help the driver see oncoming cars."

Even some parents are floored by the new limits. They say parents should be in the driver's seat when it comes to how their kids drive--not governments. "It's up to parents to decide if and when their kids should drive. ... I get tired of the state telling me how to bring up my children," wrote Connecticut parent Debra Gaudette in the Hartford Courant.

Safety Is Key

Most lawmakers disagree. "It is unacceptable to have so many young people dying," said Gayle Berry, the state representative who sponsored the bill to raise the driving age in Colorado.

Fellow representative Bill Sinclair concurs. "Life has changed. These vehicles are huge monsters now. They go 100 miles per hour," he told the Rocky Mountain News. "Too many parents just want the convenience of letting junior drive himself to school," he added.

Not all teens oppose additional restrictions. Shea Rabidoux thinks limiting passengers is smart. "I know a lot of dangerous ... drivers. If the ... bill [to limit the number of passengers] passes, the number of teen accidents and deaths should go down," the Michigan teen wrote in the Detroit Free Press.

Are teen driving restrictions a good idea? Why or why not?

Get Talking

Ask students: Why might teens be more prone to have auto accidents than other drivers?

Notes Behind the News

* Thirty-six states, plus the District of Columbia, have graduated license laws; 21 states currently limit the number of young passengers in cars driven by teens; 37 states have nighttime driving restrictions for teen drivers.

* In 2001, auto accidents involving teenagers cost taxpayers $42.3 billion for emergency services, medical and rehabilitation costs, productivity losses, and property damage, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

* Almost two of every three teen passenger deaths (62 percent) occur in crashes with a teen driver.

* In California, where the first significant passenger restrictions took effect in 1999, teen passenger deaths and injuries have dropped by 23 percent. One study found that inexperienced teens driving with one teen passenger nearly doubled their fatal crash risk; having two or more passengers increased the crash risk five-fold compared to driving alone.

Doing More

Have students research driver's license restrictions in your state using the Web site of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (http://www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/teens/teenager.htm).

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