Imagine that you are 17 again. In April of your junior year, you climb into the back of a vehicle with six of your high school friends to take a trip to McDonald’s during lunch. Your friend, who is driving the vehicle, has recently obtained her license, and is driving her parents’ van for the day. This new driver, unbeknownst to everyone else in the van, has decided to surprise you and the other passengers by creating a rollercoaster feeling. To reach this sensation, the vehicle is traveling three times faster than the posted speed limit. However, at such speeds, control of the vehicle is lost. As a result, as a young, athletic, and healthy teenager, you sustain permanent and life-altering injuries, including spinal damage, a pinched nerve, chronic migraines, and a broken neck. Such was the story of Alana McGuire, who was a guest on episode 37 of our podcast, After the Crash.
Driving and operating a passenger vehicle is a task that should not be taken lightly. Normal, healthy teens can have their lives permanently altered in a matter of seconds when it comes to reckless driving. Sadly, car crashes are the number one cause of death amongst teens and young adults. Unfortunately, Alana’s story is not rare. Studies have also found that:
- In 2020, about 227,000 teens aged 13-19 were injured in motor vehicle crashes.
- In 2021, 3,058 teenagers aged 13-19 died in a car crash.
- In 2021, 62% of deaths among passenger vehicle occupants had drivers aged 16-19.
- Teen drivers (15-19) have the highest rate of motor vehicle crashes among all age groups in the US and disproportionately contribute to fatal accidents.
- Drivers who have less than 18 months of experience are four times more likely to be at risk of a an accident
These statistics indicate that teens in our community are at a high risk for being involved in a serious accident. Why is it that teens are at a higher risk than adults when it comes to car accidents? Are our kids are being properly trained to operate motor vehicles in such a way that will protect themselves and other drivers? With such high rates of motor vehicle accidents, are teens receiving proper education, training, and experience that produces safe, confident, and responsible drivers? Unfortunately, it seems that the current requirements and methods are not enough.
Educating Drivers Through the Years
In the 1920s and 1930s, a public safety crisis began to arise in the United States. Automobile crashes became a common occurrence, which concerned many safety organizations. Out of this concern, educational programs were designed to help train drivers and to promote safety behaviors. By the 1950s, the majority of high schools included some form of driver’s education in their curriculum. Then in the 1980s, due to budget cuts, many schools began dropping driver’s education and private driving schools became the new normal.
Today, driver’s education can be taken in-person or as an online course. The cost of driver’s education can range from $380-$460 for the education and the road training. The course seeks to educate young drivers about the rules of the road, how to safely operate motor vehicles, responsible driving, and what to do in case of an accident. However, research has found that the type of driver’s education that is commonly offered is ineffective when it comes to reducing the number of crashes or injuries related to car accidents.
In the state of Indiana, a teen may obtain a learner’s permit once they turn 15. To earn a learner’s permit, the student must pass an eye exam, and the Indiana Knowledge Exam by scoring at least 80%. This exam tests knowledge of traffic laws in Indiana, as well as about safe driving practices. A pre-licensed driver may complete a driver training program consisting of 30 hours of classroom training, with 6 hours of driving training with a certified instructor. An online course includes the same 30 hours in a classroom setting, with the student being responsible for the 6 hours of drive time. If a student chooses not to enroll in a driver’s education training program, they must be at least 16 years of age to earn a learner’s permit. To become a fully licensed driver, an individual must wait until 90 days after their 16th birthday, and complete 50 hours of supervised driving time, with 10 hours being after dark.
That’s it.
While this can serve as a solid foundation for new drivers, statistics indicate that teens are not receiving enough training to fully equip them as safe drivers. It has been suggested that driver education programs are ineffective because they focus on skills that are less relevant to students, or skills that do not factor into accidents involving young drivers. Another hindrance to driver education programs is that they are often designed without scientific evidence to promote best practices. What would make a difference for new drivers to make healthy and safe decisions while operating a car?
The Danger of Inexperience
What factors contribute to so many car accidents and deaths among teens in the United States? While there are a variety of influences (distractions, substance usage, drowsiness, lack of seatbelt use, etc.), one major factor is that of inexperience. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in comparison to older drivers, teens are more likely to misjudge their ability to handle dangerous situations. Furthermore, teens are more likely to make errors that lead to serious crashes and injury. For example, teens are more likely than older drivers to go over the speed limit and to remain too close to the vehicle ahead of them. One study found that teens do not necessarily believe that they are unable to be harmed, but that they are overconfident in their own abilities, skills, and control in a dangerous situation. So, how is this error in judgment addressed? In all reality, the answer is fairly simple: experience.
Experience doesn’t just mean head knowledge or being able to pass an exam about speed limits, signs, or when to yield to oncoming traffic. It’s not, necessarily, that teens do not understand the rules of the road. Rather, they are not experienced in their ability to handle complicated situations that may arise while driving. This, unfortunately, can lead to serious consequences. Experience includes actual time that is spent driving in challenging situations. Furthermore, research has found that it’s not necessarily just spending more time driving, but receiving meaningful feedback from experienced drivers – which includes the teen’s parents. To help teens to become safe, responsible, and prepared drivers, they need to face challenging situations with the guidance of supervisors. Teens should be prepared to handle situations where they may feel tempted to overcorrect, misjudge distances, or speed.
Preparing New Drivers
It takes time, concentration, and practice to learn a new skill. Driving a car is not only a new skill, but one that can lead to disastrous consequences if not properly handled. Learning to become a safe driver is not a skill that will come quickly. While driver education is typically beneficial in assisting new drivers to pass driving tests, the most helpful and practical knowledge is received from parent-supervised driving. As your teen is learning to drive, your input as an experienced driver will be so important. You have the opportunity to train and prepare them for safe driving practices. Studies show that when a teen’s driving is monitored and guided by their parent or guardian, there is a significant reduction in crash rates and traffic violations.
With this knowledge, how can parents seek to equip and prepare their children to become safe drivers?
- Help your teen understand the rules of the road.
This is knowledge that is often covered by the written exam and driver’s test. However, real-life situations can often feel overwhelming for new drivers. Therefore, it may be helpful for your teens if you discuss basic rules of the road with them. Covering the importance of mirror adjustments, turn signals, headlights, wipers, emergency lights, and dashboard warnings may serve as helpful reminders. Additionally, it may be helpful to provide simple reminders of lane markings, safe and legal turns, all-way stops, roundabouts, and more.
- Help your teen learn vehicle management.
These skills should be especially practiced for new drivers. These include learning how to control and manage steering, safely and legally regulating speed, smooth stopping and accelerating, navigating lanes, backing up, and turning. Studies have found that a minimum of 6 hours should be specifically focused on developing these skills in new drivers.
- Help your teen learn advanced driving skills.
Some of the advanced driving skills that will be important for teens to practice include navigating speed in high-traffic situations, judging speed of other vehicles, and interpreting intentions of other cars in relation to runs, changing lanes, and merging. This stage will help to prepare your teen in their ability to adapt to a variety of circumstances while driving. These situations are incredibly important for young drivers to be able to navigate with confidence and skill. The more your child is exposed to complex driving situations, the better prepared and experienced they will be for when they are on their own. Additionally, the CDC recommends having your new driver practice on a variety of roads, at different times of the day, and in different types of weather and traffic conditions. New drivers need to learn how to be prepared to navigate these factors that can greatly impact safety.
- Help your teen focus their attention while driving.
As teens are learning to drive, it is vital that they focus as much as they can on the task at hand without other activities (music, food, friends, etc.) distracting them. It is not helpful to learn driving skills if the driver is not paying attention to the roadway or threats on the roadway. It is vital that new drivers learn the importance of paying attention to the road at all times, even when there is no supervisor riding with them. In addition to other cars, new drivers should be reminded of hazards like bikes, pedestrians, or deer.
When teens drive with other teens, there is a significant increase in the risk of a crash or serious accident. To follow safety recommendations, do not allow your teen to drive with other teen or young adult passengers for at least 6 months after they are fully licensed. This may prevent unnecessary distractions while your teen is driving.
- Help your teen by setting boundaries around driving.
Boundaries are not set to prevent fun, but to keep us safe. As a parent, it is important that you have conversations with your teens about boundaries regarding their driving. Boundaries may include who is allowed in the car with them, what time they are allowed to drive, and rules about texting and phone calls during vehicle operation.
As you are considering what boundaries to set in place, consider a few statistics:
- In 2021, car accidents involving teen drivers most frequently took place between 9:00pm-12:00am.
- In 2021, 57% of fatal accidents involving teenagers occurred in a vehicle operated by another teenager.
- In 2021, fatal accidents involving teens occurred most often in May and June
Some parents have found the Parent-Teen Driving Agreement to be a useful tool as their child is learning to drive without a supervisor in the car. The agreement addresses different categories like heeding the rules of the road, staying focused while driving, driver responsibility, as well as staying away from drugs or alcohol in a vehicle. The form also includes restrictions and time frames for driver safety, as well as penalties for violating agreements. This form can serve as a helpful, written reminder of safety expectations for new drivers.
Final Thoughts
For their own safety, it is very important for your teen to go through a variety of driving experiences. Remember, time does not necessarily equal experience. However, the more time your child is learning and being trained to drive, the better prepared they will be for dangerous situations. Instead of driving for them during situations of heavy traffic, allow them to learn how to navigate through the chaos. When snow is falling, let them drive with your supervision so they can get a feeling for the way control changes during inclement weather. These opportunities will provide them with skills that could potentially save their life.
David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner, as well as one of the founding partners of the law firm of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is also recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help victims and their families as they navigate through a terrible situation and answers the host of questions that come after a tragic wreck. He is also the host of the podcast, After the Crash where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol on roads regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.
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