| This article is designed to raise the concern about | | | | improve driver performance. The same principles that |
| teen driving fatalities and what can be done to | | | | have reduced the number of ambulance crashes by |
| drastically reduce this alarming statistic. While this | | | | more than 90% are used in the "black box" we |
| article may be sensitive to some readers in certain | | | | developed for teenage drivers." |
| industries, we would like to raise the question as to | | | | Economic Implications |
| what can be done to make our teens better drivers | | | | The primary industries affected by increasing the |
| and how to alert others on the road that a new | | | | driving age to 18 are the automotive manufacturers, |
| driver is behind the wheel. | | | | auto insurance, gas and driving education companies. |
| Our previous article raised the question of whether | | | | This basically covers the largest firms within the auto |
| the driving age in the country needs to be raised to | | | | industry. |
| age 18. With more teen fatalities on the road each | | | | The automotive manufacturers would only see a |
| year than the amount of deaths reported from 9/11, | | | | delay in purchases by a factor of three years and |
| we must consider changes to our laws governing | | | | only for the first three years that the driving age |
| teen driving. From another perspective one could say | | | | was raised to 18. Most 18 year olds would receive |
| that the number of teen deaths on the roads in the | | | | their driver's licenses during the summer after |
| U.S. are greater than the number of deaths reported | | | | graduating from high school. |
| of U.S. soldiers before and after the war in Iraq! Are | | | | The auto insurance companies would hopefully gain |
| our roads a war zone? | | | | revenues by not having to pay out insurance claims |
| The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | | | | due to car accidents created by the 15 - 18 old |
| reported 3,657 drivers aged 15 to 20 years killed in | | | | teens. The National Highway Traffic Safety |
| 2003. In 2002, the number killed in the same age | | | | Administration indicates approximately 300,000 motor |
| range was 3,827. While one would never make light | | | | vehicle crashes resulting in injuries for this age group |
| of 9/11, let us consider the amount of energy, | | | | per year, which is above the figures for the fatalities |
| government changes, money, war - to name just a | | | | mentioned earlier in this article. Therefore, auto |
| few - put forth after 9/11. If only a fraction of this | | | | insurance industry would have a gain from raising the |
| energy had been given to the teen driving problem, | | | | age limit and not having to pay out 900,000 claims |
| perhaps we could have reduced teen driving related | | | | from car accidents over a three year period from |
| deaths in 2002 and 2003 - a staggering total of | | | | age 15 to 18. |
| 7,484. | | | | Gasoline companies would see a reduction in their |
| Following is a combined statement from | | | | revenues with the reduction of gasoline usage. |
| - Gordon Booth, Chief Instructor of Drivetrain, Inc. in | | | | Whether 15 - 18 year old drivers generate a |
| California, and | | | | significant impact upon the revenues of gasoline |
| - Eddie Wren of Drive and Stay Alive in New York, | | | | companies is unsubstantiated as of this writing. |
| regarding our teen driving problem: | | | | However, it would be safe to surmise some level of |
| "Research in several countries has shown not only | | | | reduction would be apparent. The reduction of |
| that the younger people are when they start to | | | | emissions would indeed benefit our planet. |
| drive the higher the chances of having a serious or | | | | Driving schools would see the most significant impact. |
| fatal crash within the first year of driving, but also | | | | Short term they would lose business for the first 3 |
| that a young person's brain is not fully developed until | | | | years. Those three years could be used, however, to |
| after the teenage years have passed, and that this, | | | | help provide them support by both State and Federal |
| in turn, also reduces a young person's abilities as a | | | | governments. The amount of financial effort that has |
| safe driver. | | | | been put forth after 9/11 against terrorist continues |
| Wisdom and any genuine desire to protect young | | | | to question if only a fraction could be used in this |
| people both undeniably dictate that it is better if | | | | effort to help save our teenagers. During these three |
| teenagers do not start to drive until they are at least | | | | years, assisting them to prepare courses should be |
| 17 or preferably 18 years old. | | | | considered. Long term the driving schools would |
| It is noticeable that if parents can hold back a female | | | | actually fair better as they would have more hours |
| for 6 months, so they do not start driving until 17 or | | | | per student to charge. |
| 18, then one sees them mature at least 12 months. | | | | Affects upon the Family |
| With males a hold back of about a year equals a | | | | For parents with new teen drivers with permit |
| maturity increase of about 6 months." | | | | licenses going through a state Graduated Driver |
| Inexperience, risk taking behavior, and immaturity are | | | | Licensing (GDL) program, there will be no affect in |
| cited as primary reasons for these accidents. | | | | the initial implementation of changing the driving age |
| Increasing the driving age to 18 would not necessarily | | | | to 18. Parents with teens that have their operators |
| change all three primary reasons. Therefore, we must | | | | license and who have allowed their teens to drive on |
| consider other possible solutions as well, such as the | | | | their own will most likely find themselves having to |
| driving education process itself. | | | | continue to "chauffeur" their 16 - 18 year old teens |
| Driver Education Comparison | | | | to their various activities. While precious time would |
| Comparing our driver education process with other | | | | be encumbered, you can get comfort from the fact |
| countries is an important step in exploring possible | | | | that your teen is still alive, your car is not damaged |
| solutions. Using Germany as an example, we were | | | | from an auto accident and your insurance has not |
| able to obtain the following information directly from | | | | doubled because of a teen driver on the policy. |
| the German driving school online at | | | | What if we do not change the driving age? |
| - First you must be at least 18 years of age. | | | | I have a philosophy that the difference between |
| - After you have completed the driver education | | | | utopia and reality is a choice. A choice by an individual |
| course and school you are on probation for 2 years. | | | | or a group to make a change or move in a different |
| During these 2 years a lesser driving violation would | | | | direction. The statistics about teen driving require a |
| require you to re-take the driver education course. A | | | | change. If changing the driving age to 18 is too big of |
| more serious driving violation would call for your | | | | a leap today, then we can take smaller steps to help |
| driver's license to be revoked. In either case when | | | | teens have better education and understand how to |
| your driver's license has been granted once again you | | | | drive a car instead of blindly using a deadly weapon. |
| will be on probation for 4 years. | | | | We need to review what the driving schools are |
| - The driver training course covers almost 28 hours | | | | asked to teach the students. The requirements need |
| of classroom education followed by 35 hours of | | | | to include not only traffic safety, but car driving |
| driving school on the road to cover varying conditions | | | | training under differing conditions. The number of |
| of day, night and autobahn experience with an | | | | hours required behind the wheel should equal the |
| instructor. | | | | number of hours required for the course, which is |
| The above only covers a small portion of the driving | | | | currently around 30 hours. Parents would spend more |
| laws in Germany. It is evident, however, that the | | | | money to achieve this, but the additional cost is |
| United States does not have these requirements. | | | | insignificant compared to the lives of their loved ones. |
| How to drive a car? | | | | Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) should be a |
| Teen driver's aside, it is reasonable to suggest that | | | | requirement nationwide and include a probationary |
| many adults who have had their driver's license for | | | | period for all new drivers to last through age 18. |
| years are not knowledgeable enough on how to | | | | Traffic violations during the probationary period |
| drive a car. They may be traffic regulation | | | | should require re-taking the driver education course |
| experienced, but what about actually using the | | | | -not with adults that are in a defensive driving |
| vehicle? During the driver education process we | | | | course, but with other teens. Asking the teen to |
| should include how to handle a car under different | | | | re-take driver education through the same school |
| conditions -- road conditions for rain, snow, ice, what | | | | they received their initial education would be a |
| to do if you have to slam on the brakes at higher | | | | consideration. Tracking the teens that re-take driver |
| speeds, sudden unexpected responses requiring split | | | | education and the driving schools they attend would |
| second decisions, how to handle the automatic and | | | | also help understand if there is a driving school that |
| manual transmissions - to name just a few. | | | | may not be properly educating the teens. |
| This type of training can be performed in driver | | | | Driving school vehicles are always well marked while |
| simulation courses that are currently available from ( | | | | students are driving on the main roads. Unfortunately, |
| Larry Selditz, President of had this to tell us: | | | | that requirement does not extend to the family |
| "For the past 18 months we have been involved in a | | | | vehicle for new drivers in a GDL program. All family |
| research and development project to bring effective | | | | vehicles with a new teen driver should be required to |
| vehicle simulation to novice drivers and others. While | | | | have at least one label on the back of the car while |
| simulators have been around for years, the operative | | | | the teen is driving and through age 18. |
| word here is "effective", science-based simulation. | | | | Bumper stickers are not always practical when a teen |
| We recently completed the Research and | | | | is occasionally driving the car and stick-on vinyl to the |
| Development phase of this project and are now in | | | | window does not address night-time driving issues. |
| the process of helping to develop a cost effective | | | | The technology exists today to use car magnets |
| commercially viable simulation product. One of our | | | | that are thick, reflective for the night and are durable. |
| Vice Presidents, Mr. Fred Craft, is forming a new | | | | These types of car magnets can be found at Auto |
| company utilizing the technology we helped develop. | | | | Safety Magnets. Identifying these almost 2 million |
| Fred is an industry expert in advanced vehicle | | | | vehicles on the road should be a requirement on a |
| simulation and I believe he would be an ideal contact | | | | national level. |
| for input for your article. I have forwarded a copy of | | | | In Conclusion |
| your email to Fred. | | | | We hope the above information was helpful to |
| I have always been a strong advocate of training | | | | address the problems, the need, and identify options |
| and believe it is a key component to developing safe | | | | if the driving age remained status quo or if it were |
| driving SKILLS. That is exactly what a simulator can | | | | raised. We hope the information was comprehensive |
| help achieve. Our vehicle and driver monitoring | | | | to show the economic implications and the hindrances |
| system, a "black box", is the key to developing safe | | | | to raising the driving age. With these alarming |
| driving HABITS. As my friend Ron Thackery, Vice | | | | statistics why have state and federal governments, |
| President of Risk and Safety for American Medical | | | | as well as, the automotive industry jumped to the |
| Response, once told me "what you monitor you can | | | | rescue? Have financial issues during hard economic |
| control - what you don't, you won't". That applies to | | | | times been put ahead of our youth? We have to |
| teenagers as well as paramedics. American Medical | | | | "cowboy-up" to a resolution about this national |
| response operates the largest fleet of ambulances in | | | | problem. |
| the world and uses our black box to control and | | | | |