It's Time to Restrict Teen Driving (Elderly Driving Too)

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I don't necessarily think that teen driving needs to be restricted, but rather, driver education must be improved. If teens believe that their instructor is just another stuffed shirt, I can't imagine that they would be as apt to listen to the rules of the road and so forth. I remember that I had an exceedingly dorky drivers' ed. instructor growing up, and I think that the messages he imparted may have been more effective coming from a more compelling instructor.
This is a link to a driving school that I believe IS more effective at communicating with its students:
http://www.topdriver.com
If you go through some of the videos on the site, I think you will see what I mean. The medium is the message, right?

Patrick of IL 1:11PM August 30, 2010

Why don't we let the state's decide after all it is their domain. Pusing another Federal mandate down our throats is wrong. I know State Farm spemnds lits of advertising dollars on this website and surely is pusing for this change but do you have to prostitute for them? Of course if you reallly want to reduce accidents why not just ban all cars for everybody? It would save our energy problems too.

Richardt of FL 6:26AM April 30, 2010

You can die in combat at 18, but you can't have a beer. Getting a first job used to be a right of passage, but now it is difficult to have transportation to or from a job if you can't drive. I have seen "adult" drivers who are every bit as lead-footed as teen, and teen drivers going to their jobs that are terrified of getting a dent in mom's car and sticking to the slow lane. We used to have much more mature youth because they were forced to grow up quicker - got jobs, married younger. Now we are extending adolescence well into the mid-twenties, and then harping how our youth are irresponsible. As for older folks - I LOVE when people talk about restricting their driving -(and no, I'm not talking about letting Alzheimer's patients drive here folks) - they're ALL for it and then one day THEY wake up and they're 75 and still quite ok, but everyone begins treating them like a child. Life is a crapshoot -it's not really all that safe no matter what you do. STRICT enforcment of speeding and traffic laws would keep EVERYONE safer without discriminating against anyone. If you've ever tailgated, turned without signaling, or just generally drove like a maniac, you're as bad or worse than any teen or geriatric out there - don't kid yourself.

Vic Pic of PA 12:55PM April 29, 2010

What is wrong with telling your childred or elderly parents that they are not allowed to drive. Are we afraid of
look like the bad guy in a loving and caring act. That is what is wrong with society today we need to communicate with one another the good and the bad. We don't need the government
to tell us what common sense decision we need to make in our own homes. I have already had to have several tough talks and plan many more in my life on subjects no one want to hear but I do it with love.

grownup of VA 2:43PM April 28, 2010

Research by The Children's Hospital of Philadephia, State Farm, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and others shows indisputable evidence for the effectiveness of Graduated Driver Licensing Laws like STANDUP to reduce teen crashes. By passing laws that mandate more supervised practice, required seat belt use for all occupants, limiting passengers and night time driving for novice drivers, and restricting cell phones hands hands-free devices, lawmakers send a message to teens that these are important safety measures- and the laws also give parents reinforcement for house rules.
More information about the research supporting STANDUP is available at: http://www.teendriverssource.org/more_pages/page/the_standup_act_/support_gov

Dana of PA 12:46PM April 28, 2010

Michael Cain has a wonderful line in, “Second Hand Lions” . As a group of trouble making teens advance toward he and Robert Duvall he says, “You’re about to let those teenage hormones get you into trouble again.” As we shall see, there is much wisdom there.
Society should take note that the teen “car culture” that fills high school parking lots, and spills out into surrounding neighborhoods, leads to many social problems. One can readily see that the easy mobility of youth often leads to; thousands of deaths and crippling injuries each year, drug and alcohol abuse, millions of gallons of gas and uncountable numbers of hours wasted aimlessly cruising around, more graffiti in our neighborhoods, teen pregnancy (and too often an aborted baby), gang violence and crimes, increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted disease among teenagers, and - importantly - the lack of parental control over “questionable” friends and associates. Against all this is the seductive convenience of the automobile.
Raise the national driving age to 18 or high school graduation with a B average or higher. Grades would go up, problems would go down and lives would be saved.
I can hear all the teenagers whining about their particular situation. Forget about it...walk, take a bus, ride a bike - Tell yourself you’re saving the planet - Just handle it.
If a parents only interaction with their teen is to toss them the car keys, and put a T.V. and a computer in their room then they should be prepared to have a child lost - seduced by; MTV, “Girls Gone Wild”, “Spring Break”, “reality shows” , sexy commercials, flashy car ads, and all the other garbage Hollywood spews over our families under the guise of “entertainment”.
Whether or not your child knows or appreciates it - they need you more than the car or a T.V.. Take a stand before they slip away.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 12:46PM April 28, 2010

In California the first year you have your license (if under 18), you can not take anyone in the car with you under 25. You cannot drive after 11pm as well. Won't solve all the problems but it helps. And believe me, even with those laws in place, many parents are so glad they don't have to drive carpool that they look the other way when kids get in the car with a 'novice' driver.

barb of CA 11:39AM April 28, 2010

may I suggest that Young & Senior Drivers have a SIGN in their Back window .. alerting everyone to the "compromised" driver ...
it will not totally solve the problem .. but it will give the otehrs on the road a fair chance to adjust...

stephen of IL 9:53AM April 28, 2010

Several teenagers have been killed in MN this week. In one case, the driver had her license for only a month, none wore seatbelts, and all were killed.

Jeri Bitney of WI 9:16AM April 28, 2010