Young drivers have long posed safety concerns for on the roads; they are inexperienced, easily distracted and usually dont understand the true dangers of car accidents. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the crash rate for 16 to 19 year-olds is 2.7 times higher than drivers of all ages. For this reason the Graduated Driver License law has been created, to help teenagers understand how to drive smart and safe. Essentially, the GDL laws allow young drivers to gain experience in lower-risk conditions. While each state has some version of the GDL, some typical provisions include:
- Longer periods of supervised driving before obtaining a full license
- Required hours of adult supervision
- Restrictions on driving with other teens as passengers
- Seat belt requirements
- Restrictions on late-night driving
Recent studies have proven that the Graduated Driver License system is working to reduce accidents among 16 year-olds, but there is a growing concern for the 18 year-old age group. The first GDL program began in 1996 and has been associated with 1,348 fewer fatal crashes involving 16 year-old drivers. The program, however, has also seen an increase of 1,086 fatal accidents involving 18 year-old drivers.
Furthermore, a comparison of states with the strictest GDL laws versus the weaker laws proved that there were 26% fewer fatal crashes involving 16 year-old drivers, when strict laws were enforced. The same comparison showed that 18 year-old drivers in strict states were involved in 12% more fatal crashes.
So where is the program going wrong? According to one researcher with Californias Department of Motor Vehicles theres an incentive right now to skip out and just wait until youre 18. He continues that in most states you dont even need to have driver education or driver training if you obtain a license at 18, which he found very disappointing for the GDL system. So while the very young novice drivers are learning slowly and patiently, older novice drivers can jump right in.
The study is recently recognizing the problem and hoping to make improvements for older drivers. It is doing what it was intended to do prevent novice drivers from being in high risk conditions, according to Dr. Flaura Winston, a traffic injury expert and pediatrician at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. But there is now an obvious need to improve the system to ensure that no age group is left untrained and unprepared. If you or your child have been in an accident, please contact a
Rio Grande Valley personal injury lawyer immediately.
