Teen Drivers: A Sociological Issue
The issue of teen drivers is very important because thousands of teens die every year as a result of automobile crashes, so many, in fact, that they are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. In the last decade, over 68,000 teens have died in car crashes.(1) Even though this age group makes up only seven percent of the driving population, they are involved in 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. On the basis pf miles driven, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as are all drivers. Why do young drivers have such poor driving performance? Three factors work together to make the teen years so deadly for young drivers. These factors are: All young drivers start out with little knowledge or understanding of the complexities of driving a motor vehicle. Learning to driver, like any other skill, takes a lot of time and effort. Technical ability, good judgement, and experience are all needed to properly make the continuous decisions, both small and large, that add up to safe driving.
After the young driver demonstrates responsible driving behavior, restrictions are lifted systematically lifted until the young driver "graduates" to full driving priveleges. Graduated driver licensing gives beginning drivers:Practice in developing driving skills over an extended period of time, leading to greater experience, maturity, and judgementIncreased time in supervised, behing-the-wheel training during daylight and nighttime hoursEducation in basic and advanced driving skills and safety knowledgeMotivation to practice safe driving skills and behavior by requiring a crash-free/conviction-free driving performance before full licensure (4) Recent public opinion surveys point to widespread support for graduated driver licensing. This is the method that the state of North Carolina employs. These are factors that increase crash risk. Greater Risk Exposure Teens also drive at night with other teens in the vehicle. )Full License: This stage allows unlimited and unrestricted driving privileges(3)What is the Best Way? The graduated driver licensing method is the best public policy course of action to take with regard to the issue of teen drivers. The graduated driver licensing system expands the learning process and reduces the risk exposure for young teenage drivers. New drivers must demonstrate basic driving skills in a road test. Regarding the traditional licensing system, most highway safety experts agree that ". and its member companies, General Federation of Women's Clubs, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives, National Association of Independant Insurers, National Center on Education in Maternal and Child Health, National Commission Against Drunk Driving, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Safety Council, National Sherrifs' Association, National Transportation Safety Board, Nationwide Insurance, Police Executive Research Forum, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Society of Trauma Nurses, State Farm Insurance, and USAA Insurance. Amoung them are: AAA, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Allstate Insurance, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, American Automobile Manufacturers Assocaition, American Coalition for Traffic Safety, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, Beer Institute and its memebr companies, Brain Injury Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Century Council, Distilled Spirits Council of the U. Compared to other drivers, a higher proportion of teenagers is responsible for their fatal crashes because of their own driving errors.
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