Researcher Published by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly Inc. CQ thecqresearcher.com Teen Driving Should states impose tougher restrictions?
ore teenage drivers are involved in car crashes every year — and more are killed — than any other age group. And the number of deaths is rising, even though overall fatalities Mof teen drivers and passengers have decreased substantially in the last 25 years. Still, some 6,000 teens die in accidents annually — more than 15 a day. Teens are the least likely age group to use seat belts and the most likely to drink and drive. Moreover, the presence of teenage passengers strongly increases the risk that a More than 3,600 teen drivers were killed in fatal teen driver will crash, as does driving at night or on weekends. accidents in the United States in 2003. Graduated driver licensing programs have helped bring down teen I crash statistics in many states, but safety experts and advocates say N more needs to be done, including imposing tougher limits on teen THIS REPORT S HE SSUES...... driving. Some say driver education programs are ineffective; others T I 3 I BACKGROUND ...... 10 argue that state laws need to be better enforced. Almost all agree, D CHRONOLOGY ...... 11 however, that parents need to be more involved in training and E URRENT ITUATION ...... monitoring teenagers behind the wheel. C S 16 AT ISSUE ...... 17 OUTLOOK ...... 19 The CQ Researcher • Jan. 7, 2005 • www.thecqresearcher.com Volume 15, Number 1 • Pages 1-24 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 21
RECIPIENT OF SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AWARD FOR THE NEXT STEP ...... 22 EXCELLENCE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION SILVER GAVEL AWARD TEEN DRIVING T H CQE Researcher Jan. 7, 2005 THE ISSUES Fatalities Caused by Young Volume 15, Number 1 6 Drivers • Is driver education Most victims are passengers MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas J. Colin 3 effective? and pedestrians. • Should more limits be ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR: Kathy Koch imposed on teen drivers? 8 Youths’ Alcohol-related ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kenneth Jost • Should the driving age Crashes Declined The percentage of fatal STAFF WRITERS: Mary H. Cooper, be raised? crashes caused by drunken Peter Katel young drivers has dropped CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sarah Glazer, BACKGROUND by almost 50 percent. David Hatch, David Hosansky, Patrick Marshall, Tom Price, Jane Tanner The Teen Brain Vehicle Death Rate Highest DESIGN/PRODUCTION EDITOR: Olu B. Davis 10 Recent research indicates 9 for 18-Year-Olds that the decision-making Nineteen-year-olds had the ASSISTANT EDITOR: Kate Templin area of the brain is still second-highest rate. developing during the teen years. Chronology 11 Key events since 1924. Car Culture 14 Teen Drivers and Alcohol: Fast cars became symbols 12 A Deadly Mix of defiance in the 1950s. A Division of Alcohol is a factor in nearly Congressional Quarterly Inc. a third of all fatal crashes Teen Slaughter involving teen drivers. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER: 15 Nearly 10,000 teens a John A. Jenkins year were dying on U.S. Some Cities Legalize Drag DIRECTOR, LIBRARY PUBLISHING: Kathryn C. Suárez highways in the 1970s. 14 Racing Officials have begun channel- DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL OPERATIONS: ing racers from city streets to Ann Davies controlled environments. CURRENT SITUATION CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY INC. Tougher GDLs? Did You Know . . . ? CHAIRMAN: Paul C. Tash 16 The risks of teen driving. 16 Safety advocates propose VICE CHAIRMAN: Andrew P. Corty tougher restrictions on At Issue PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER: Robert W. Merry graduated driver licenses. 17 Are driver education courses for teenagers effective? Copyright © 2005 CQ Press, a division of Congres- sional Quarterly Inc. (CQ). CQ reserves all copyright OUTLOOK and other rights herein, unless previously specified FOR FURTHER RESEARCH in writing. No part of this publication may be re- The Marijuana Menace produced electronically or otherwise, without prior 19 Teens driving under the For More Information written permission. Unauthorized reproduction or influence of drugs may be 20 Organizations to contact. transmission of CQ copyrighted material is a violation the next obstacle to reduc- of federal law carrying civil fines of up to $100,000. ing teen accident rates. 21 Bibliography The CQ Researcher (ISSN 1056-2036) is printed on Selected sources used. acid-free paper. Published weekly, except March 25, July 1, July 8, Aug. 5, Aug. 12, Nov. 25, Dec. 23 and The Next Step SIDEBARS AND GRAPHICS 22 Dec. 30, by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quar- Additional articles. terly Inc. Annual subscription rates for institutions start Most States Use Graduated at $625. For pricing, call 1-800-834-9020, ext. 1906. 4 Citing The CQ Researcher To purchase a CQ Researcher report in print or elec- Licenses 23 Sample bibliography formats. Programs grant driving privi- tronic format (PDF), visit www.cqpress.com or call leges to teens in stages. 866-427-7737. A single report is $10. Bulk purchase discounts and electronic-rights licensing are also avail- able. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CQ Researcher, 1255 22nd St., N.W., Cover: About 3,600 teen drivers died in vehicle accidents in 2003 — about 10 youngsters a Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037. day. (AP Photo/Emilia Aigotti)
2 The CQ Researcher Teen Driving BY WILLIAM TRIPLETT
in fatal crashes. About 6,000 teens died in automobile ac- THE ISSUES cidents in 2003, including olice estimated that 3,657 young drivers. 5 16-year-old Lauren Although those figures P Sausville was driving were down from the year be- nearly 60 miles per hour in fore — when 3,838 teen dri- a 35-mph zone in early De- vers were killed — the trend cember 2004 when her Ford over the last decade has been Explorer ran off the road. The upward. Since 1993, deaths junior at Fairfax High School of drivers 15-20 years old have in Virginia overcompensated increased 13 percent. 6 In- with a sharp turn that flipped deed, says Kristen Kreibich- the sport-utility vehicle Staruch, manager of safety (SUV) on its side, sending it programs and communica- careening into a car waiting tions at DaimlerChrysler Corp., at a stop sign. 1 “traffic crashes are the lead- That car belonged to the ing cause of death” for teens friend she had been follow- of driving age. According to ing, a 17-year-old boy who the Insurance Institute for police said was legally drunk. Highway Safety (IIHS), motor He was not hurt, but Lauren vehicle crashes account for was pronounced dead at the about 40 percent of adoles- scene. Earlier, police said, she cent fatalities. 7
had persuaded a stranger at AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta Moreover, teenage drivers a convenience store to buy Sean Larimer, 16, of Las Vegas — who killed his three are involved in more crashes best friends when he crashed while driving drunk — is two six-packs of beer for her comforted by his mother after a court hearing on Jan. 5, — fatal and non-fatal — than and her friends. 2004. He pleaded guilty to reckless and drunken driving any other age group. The Cen- Another recent SUV acci- and was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility. ters for Disease Control and dent in Virginia involved seven Teen drivers are involved in more crashes than any Prevention (CDC) reports that members of the women’s crew other age group; deaths of drivers 15-20 years old in 2002 the motor vehicle death have increased 13 percent since 1993. team at T. C. Williams High rate for teens (drivers as well School in Alexandria. They as passengers) between ages were traveling on I-95 near Springfield Some had been drinking and driving; 15 and 19 was 27.6 deaths per 100,000 when the 17-year-old driver lost con- some made fatal rookie mistakes; and population compared to 17.8 for peo- trol of her Cadillac SUV and rolled. All some were just along for the ride. ple between 25 and 34 and 15.8 for survived except senior Laura Lynam. 2 Accidents involving teenagers are those between 35 and 44. 8 But no one survived when Weston disproportionately high throughout the Jeffrey W. Runge, a physician who Griggs, 17, drove his Volkswagen Jetta United States. Drivers between ages heads the National Highway Trans- 70 mph in a 40-mph zone in Wood- 15 and 20 make up about only 6.4 portation Safety Administration (NHTSA), bridge, Va., shortly before 4 a.m. one percent of the nation’s driving popu- has described teen driving deaths in the October morning. He lost control and lation, but for the last 10 years they United States as “an epidemic.” 9 smashed into a telephone pole — snap- have been involved in approximately Experts cite many reasons for the ping it into three pieces. Griggs and 14 percent of all fatal car crashes. 4 high toll. Driver education courses are both his passengers, young men 18 In 2003, nearly 7,900 teen drivers being offered in only about half the and 22, were killed. 3 were involved in fatal accidents in the nation’s public high schools, many dis- Those were just a few of the recent United States. Nearly half of them continued because of skyrocketing in- accidents in suburban Virginia involv- died, but most of the victims were surance costs. And even when cours- ing teenagers. In the last three months passengers, drivers or passengers of es are offered, they generally focus on of 2004, at least 17 youths died in other vehicles, or pedestrians. Anoth- helping students pass a driving test, not crashes in the Washington, D.C., area. er 308,000 teen drivers were injured teaching them to drive defensively and
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 3 TEEN DRIVING safely, experts say. Commercial driving school programs have the same prob- Most States Use Graduated Licenses lem, they add, although driver educa- Most states and the District of Columbia limit teenagers’ driving tion teachers — both public and pri- privileges by instituting graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs, vate — disagree. The mythical “invulnerability” of which usually involve a learner’s stage and an intermediate stage youth is also blamed: Teens by nature before an unrestricted license is permitted. GDL programs are risk-takers who rarely think about substantially reduce teen crash rates. Ohio, for example, reported disaster, particularly when it comes to that following its 1999 implementation of GDL laws, fatal crashes driving. For example, they are the least involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers dropped by 70 percent. likely age group to use seat belts, and the most likely to drink and drive. The CDC reports that 29 percent of Types of Limits on Teen Licenses teen drivers killed in auto crashes in 2002 had been drinking, and 77 per- Learner’s Permits Intermediate Permits cent were not wearing seat belts. Adult super- 30-50 hours No unsuper- Limits on Moreover, during the period from 1991 States vision for of adult vised night teenage to 1997, more than one in three teens six months supervision driving passengers reported riding with a driver who had Alabama x been drinking. And one in six admit- Alaska x x x 10 ted to drinking and driving. Arizona “Research continues to show that Arkansas x young drivers between 15 and 20 years California x x x of age are more often involved in al- Colorado x x cohol-related crashes than any other Connecticut x comparable age group,” says Mothers Delaware x x 11 Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Dist. of Columbia x x x But there has been progress. The Florida x x number of 15-to-20-year-olds involved Georgia x x in fatal crashes who had a blood al- Hawaii cohol concentration (BAC) higher than Idaho x x 0.08 g/210 liters of breath — the legal Illinois x limit in most states — dropped 6 per- cent between 1993 and 2003, possi- Continued bly due to the increased use of des- ignated drivers. 12 Learner’s Stage — Drivers must be supervised by adult driver for six months Nevertheless, teens tend to think of and must remain conviction-free during that period. In some cases, 30-50 hours 13 themselves as safe drivers. Among of supervised driving with an adult driver are required. 10 teens attending a recent class at the Northern Virginia Driving School Intermediate Stage — Nighttime restrictions: Unsupervised driving from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. is prohibited. Passenger restrictions: Usually limit the number of in Arlington, Va., at least four had teenage passengers without adult supervision; the optimal limit is one teenage close friends who had been in seri- passenger. ous accidents, but none thought the same could happen to them. Source: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, “State Highway Safety Law Chart,” When asked why he drove fast, a October 2004 student replied: “It’s just the thrill of it, going fast!” lenges of driving, especially when Inexperience is another factor: New Some experts say that just because egged on by their friends. For in- drivers simply aren’t aware of the teens are allowed to drive at 16 (or stance, a 16-year-old girl described as many unexpected conditions they might even younger) does not necessarily a model student and daughter died in confront, and they know even less mean they have the maturity to han- a crash while playing “road-hog” with about how to deal with them. dle the physical or psychological chal- a friend in another car. 14 “They’re always either understeering
4 The CQ Researcher Types of Limits on Teen Licenses their abilities. When you put all those things together, you’ve got a pretty Learner’s Permits Intermediate Permits lethal combination.” 15 Some 45 states and the District of Adult super- 30-50 hours No unsuper- Limits on States vision for of adult vised night teenage Columbia have responded to the prob- six months supervision driving passengers lem by instituting graduated driver li- censing (GDL) programs, which limit a Illinois x new driver’s privileges pending suc- Indiana x cessful completion of phases involving Iowa x increasing levels of risk exposure. Kansas x The Journal of Safety Research re- Kentucky x cently reported that GDL programs Louisiana x have helped reduce teen crash rates, Maine x x x but because of differences in state pro- Maryland x grams and evaluation methods, pre- Massachusetts x x cise nationwide measures cannot be Michigan x x made. 16 And states don’t enforce all Minnesota x x parts of their GDL programs equally, Mississippi x x making them less effective than they Missouri x could be, advocates say. Montana But one factor clearly appears to Nebraska help: raising the legal driving age. In Nevada x x England, where drivers must be age New Hampshire x 17, and in Germany, where the age New Jersey x x is 18, teens have lower fatality rates New Mexico x x x than in the United States. 17 New York x Some experts say more educational North Carolina x x x programs are needed; others contend North Dakota x they have little impact on teens. And Ohio x x still others argue for more parental in- Oklahoma x volvement in teens’ driving lessons. But Oregon x x x a recent study by Liberty Mutual In- Pennsylvania x x surance Co. and Students Against De- Rhode Island x x structive Decisions (SADD) indicated that South Carolina x x x more parental involvement actually can South Dakota x have a negative effect. 18 Tennessee x x x Meanwhile, an upcoming explo- Texas x x sion in the number of teenagers is Utah x x putting new pressure on safety ex- Vermont x x x perts to improve teen driving. Re- Virginia x x x flecting a nationwide trend, the Cali- Washington x x x fornia Office of Traffic Safety recently West Virginia x released a study forecasting a one- Wisconsin x x x third rise in the state’s teen popula- Wyoming tion by 2007. The increase will occur because the teenage children of Baby or oversteering, going off the road or As Allan F. Williams, chief scien- Boomers — who delayed having chil- hitting the curb, or turning too soon tist for the IIHS, has put it, “You’ve dren to pursue careers — are reach- or too late,” says Virginia driving school got several things going on here — ing puberty. 19 owner Larry Blake. “I’ve fought in two a risky driving style; inability to rec- “Teenage traffic deaths could sky- wars, and I can tell you, this is the ognize or respond to dangerous dri- rocket over the next decade,” Califor- most dangerous profession there is.” ving situations and overconfidence in nia officials said. 20
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tices (speeding, driving while impaired) Fatalities Caused by Young Drivers and crashes and violations,” the IIHS says. “The traits, values and peer asso- A majority (58 percent) of the people killed in crashes involving ciations of this high-risk group are such young drivers were not the young drivers but passengers, occupants that changing their behavior through of other vehicles and pedestrians. education is a difficult task.” 24 That is the very point that critics Fatalities in Crashes Involving Drivers Ages 15-20 fail to understand, according to certi- fied driving instructor Syed Ahmad, of Young Passengers Occupants Non- Total Alexandria, Va. “When accidents hap- Year drivers of young of other occupants fatalities pen, they always blame the driver’s- drivers vehicles ed classes,” Ahmad says. “But the fact 1999 3,564 2,578 2,245 752 9,139 is, if your intention is to go out and party when you get your license, you’re 2000 3,621 2,535 2,185 756 9,097 not going to make it.” 2001 3,617 2,529 2,172 746 9,064 Allen Robinson, chief executive of- 2002 3,838 2,565 2,153 695 9,251 ficer of the American Driver and Traf- fic Safety Education Association (ADT- 2003 3,657 2,384 1,979 646 8,666 SEA), says critics of driver education rely heavily — and inappropriately — Source: “Crash Stats,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, November on a 1974 study in DeKalb County 2004 (Macon), Ga. “When we planned the DeKalb study, we were too ambi- As parents, school officials and NHTSA Administrator Runge essen- tious,” he says. “We said we could re- safety experts seek ways to better pro- tially concurs. “As it’s currently con- duce fatalities of 16-year-old drivers by tect teen drivers, here are some of the figured, driver’s education might make 10 percent [through driver’s educa- key questions under debate: a difference in the first six months of tion]. But we only achieved about a driving,” he said, “but after that, it 4 percent reduction. So, it was un- Is driver education effective? doesn’t matter much.” 23 successful in that respect. But today For many teens and parents, the Eric Skrum, communications direc- there isn’t a single countermeasure — value of driver education — behind- tor for the National Motorists Associa- seat belts or anything — that can show the-wheel experience bolstered by tion (NMA), argues that current driver a 4 percent reduction in fatalities.” classroom instruction — seems self- education programs don’t put enough Yet critics continue to cite the DeKalb evident. emphasis on behind-the-wheel experi- study, Robinson asserts, “as the bench- However, some experts say formal ence. “Instead of telling kids about a mark for why driver’s education ‘doesn’t evaluations of high school “driver ed” skid, you need to get them into a skid,” work.’ ” Indeed, the study is one of the programs show they have little or no Skrum says. “Teach them how to han- reasons many high schools discontinue effect in reducing crashes. 21 dle the situation. The few hours that their driver education courses. “Driver education programs are usu- new drivers have now isn’t training them However, Robinson says the Oregon ally short-term, and only basic skills for all situations they’re going to be in.” Department of Transportation (ODOT) are learned,” says Williams, of the While critics acknowledge that high and the Center for Applied Research IIHS. “There’s not enough time to do school programs can teach good driving recently found “significantly lower rates more. To think this short-term course skills, they say the programs have little of convictions, suspensions and crashes” is going to make young people safe or no effect on teen attitudes. Indeed, for drivers who took a driver ed drivers is kind of unrealistic.” the IIHS maintains that teenagers who course versus drivers who learned Having studied teen crash rates for have accidents are the least susceptible through 50 hours of informal, supervised 25 years, Williams concluded in a 2004 to behavior change through education. driving. An ODOT spokesperson says report: “There is no difference in the Studies involving mostly young males the report is still in draft form and under crash records of driver education grad- have noted the “interrelationship review, with no public release date set. uates compared with equivalent groups among certain personality traits (rebel- Driving school owner Blake (who of beginners who learned to drive with- liousness, risk-taking, independence, de- says his pupils have included the daugh- out formal education.” 22 fiance of authority), deviant driving prac- ters of former Presidents Richard Nixon
6 The CQ Researcher and Gerald Ford), argues that not all states get no federal money for driver’s Should more limits be imposed schools evaluate students properly. In education, so there’s no way to make on teen drivers? Virginia, he notes, instructors can waive them comply with [national] standards.” Graduated driver licensing (GDL) a student’s school road test if they feel She favors encouraging states to adopt programs — used in some 45 states the student has performed well during voluntary core requirements and guide- and the District of Columbia — are the course. Increasingly, though, com- lines for driver ed courses. the most popular and widely used mercial instructors are waiving their “Federal driver education standards method of limiting teen driving. GDL road tests for financial reasons, he says. would be a terrible idea,” agrees Radley programs generally feature three phas- “When students find es: a learner’s permit, which out an instructor is allows driving only when going to make them take supervised by a fully li- the road test, they tell censed adult; a provisional, their friends, and those or intermediate, license, friends make sure they which allows unsupervised don’t go to that driving driving under restricted cir- school,” Blake says. cumstances and, finally, full “More and more schools licensure. The ages for each are waiving the road test phase are usually 15, 16 because they’re scared and 17, respectively. of losing business.” If The first two phases re- more schools enforced quire minimum training pe- standards more rigor- riods — varying from state ously, he claims, driver to state — before the stu- ed would be highly ef- dent can advance. fective. The theory behind GDL Indeed, some ob- is simple. “By restricting servers blame the lack when teenagers may drive, of uniformity among dri- and with whom, graduated ver ed curricula, not dri- driver licensing allows new ver education per se. drivers to gain much-needed, “It’s all very uneven on-the-road experience in around the country,” controlled, lower-risk set- says Eileen Buckholtz, tings,” according to NHTSA. the mother of two young “It also means that a American Automobile Association drivers and the admin- Wearing goggles that distort her senses as if she had been drinking, teenager will be a little istrator of the Web site a driver education student tries, unsuccessfully, to walk a older and more mature teendriving.com, which straight line — a common police test for drunkenness. when he or she gains a full, advocates safe driving. unrestricted license.” 25 Stephen Wallace, chairman and chief Balko, a policy analyst at the Cato In- New Zealand first introduced GDL in executive officer of Students Against stitute, a libertarian think tank. “Every 1987, and three subsequent studies of the Destructive Decisions (SADD), adds, state’s driving is a little different — program showed positive effects. 26 In “There’s a range of driver education the skills you need to drive in Flori- 1996, Florida became the first state to ini- programs out there, so a differing de- da and in Alaska are quite different. tiate a GDL program, and a susequent gree of effectiveness exists.” States know better what’s best for learn- evaluation showed that it substantially re- At a 2003 National Transportation ing how to drive on their highways.” duced teen deaths. So did later evalua- Safety Board (NTSB) symposium on dri- Yet, no one even knows how many tions of GDL programs in California, Con- ver education, several safety experts ar- states still offer driver’s education in necticut, Kentucky, Michigan, North gued for uniform, national standards for public high schools. “We know that Carolina, Ohio, Maryland and Oregon. 27 driver education. But Barbara Harsha, about 55 percent of public high schools Ohio, for example, reported that follow- executive director of the Governors in the United States still offer it,” Robin- ing its 1999 implementation of GDL laws, Highway Safety Association (GHSA), son of ADTSEA says, “but we don’t fatal crashes involving 16- and 17-year- thinks that would be a mistake. “The know how many states.” old drivers dropped by 70 percent. 28
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for teenage drivers. Four studies have Youths’ Alcohol-related Crashes Declined confirmed that the risk of an accident increases as more passengers ride with The percentage of young drivers involved in fatal car crashes who a teenage driver. One study demon- had been drinking dropped by almost 50 percent in the past two strated that just a single passenger near- decades. A large majority of the drinkers had a blood alcohol ly doubled the risk of a fatal crash, concentration (BAC) above .08 percent, the legal limit in most states. and two or more passengers raised the risk to five times that of driving (Percentage) alone. 34 Yet 29 states do not limit the 50% number of passengers that can ride Percentage of drivers ages 15-20 in with teen drivers. fatal accidents who had been drinking Surprisingly, parents often oppose imposing more limits on teen pas- 40 sengers. For instance, Maryland state Del. Adrienne A. Mandel has tried for three years to enact legislation that would prohibit teenagers with provi- 30 sional licenses from carrying any pas- sengers under age 18 except family members. Her attempts have failed 20 each time, she says, mostly because 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 rural families oppose the measure. “They say more young people will Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration be on the roads if each one has to drive alone,” Mandel says. But car- While the collective fatality rates of Driving at night is generally more pooling could alleviate that, she points 15-to-20-year-old drivers and passengers hazardous for all age groups. But for out. Parents in rural areas also com- have been rising, statistics for specific teens it can be especially dangerous. plain that passenger limitations would ages support the effectiveness of GDL According to the Journal of Safety Re- be especially inconvenient in those programs. For instance, the overwhelming search, many newly licensed drivers areas where transportation options aren’t majority of drivers in GDL programs are have had less practice driving at night abundant, Mandel says. “They’re talk- either 15 or 16. According to the CDC’s than during the day. “Fatigue — thought ing about inconvenience. I’m talking National Center for Health Statistics, 491 to be a problem for teenagers at all about saving lives,” she says. Parents 15-year-olds died in motor vehicle ac- times of the day — may be more of also opposed earlier curfews for teens cidents in 2000, but the death toll dropped a factor at night; and recreational dri- because older teens often have jobs to 422 in 2001. Motor vehicle deaths of ving that is considered to be high risk, and need a way to get to work at 16-year-olds during the same period de- sometimes involving alcohol use, is night, she points out. creased from 933 to 908. 29 more likely to take place at night.” 30 Teens themselves are often divided But the next year, 2002, deaths in For 16-year-old drivers, the risk of over limitations on driving, including both age groups began creeping back a fatal crash is three times higher after GDL programs in general. In 1998, when up — to 479 for 15-year-olds and 9 p.m. than during the daytime. 31 Delaware was considering adopting a 1,046 for 16-year-olds. Overall, about 40 percent of teen motor GDL system, a teenager unhappy with Harsha of the GHSA suggests the in- vehicle fatalities occur at night. 32 the idea wrote to the Web site teenink.com: crease was due to lax enforcement. Not But most state GDL programs only “Getting a driver’s license means free- all states enforce GDL laws equally, and impose a curfew on teen drivers after dom, and most of us can give you the some of the laws are weak. Harsha’s midnight or 1 a.m. 33 In any case, teen number of years, months and days until group would like more states with GDL curfews are hard to enforce at any hour, that wonderful moment. You get to say laws to limit nighttime driving and the according to Harsha, because police have good-bye to the yellow school bus, meet number of passengers allowed in the little way of knowing whether a young your friends or go to work.” 35 vehicle with the teenage driver. “Re- person driving at night is underage. Yet, in early 2004 when South search shows benefits of these things The presence of teenage passen- Dakota pushed back its curfew for when they’re enforced,” she says. gers also strongly increases crash risk teen drivers from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.,
8 The CQ Researcher a 16-year-old girl who welcomed the later curfew still admitted that, “when Vehicle Death Rate Highest for 18-Year-Olds I first started driving, it really scared Eighteen-year-olds had the highest vehicle death rate among youths me being out in the dark.” 36 ages 14 to 25 in 2000, closely followed by youths age 19. The IIHS advocates earlier curfews and uniform restrictions on teen pas- sengers, and the NTSB says teens Motor Vehicle Death Rates for Youths Ages 14 to 25 should not be allowed to use cell (No. of deaths in 2000) phones while driving. Death Rate / 100,000 Youths “Young and inexperienced drivers 35 (1,338) (1,349) out late at night with limited practice (1,195) and with other kids in the car — there are limits for those drivers that clear- 30 (1,023) ly make sense,” says Wallace of SADD. (1,216) (1,071) “But to some degree, this comes down 25 (937) to education and practice. At some (899) point, they’re all inexperienced — (827) they have to get out there and learn. 20 (744) “And when they start, those are the ones we have to look out for, because 15 nearly one in five 16-year-old drivers is involved in an accident in their first year.” (468) 10 Should the driving age be raised? (286) Teen drivers between the ages of 5 16 and 19 have the highest fatal and 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 non-fatal crash rates in the country, (Age) but 16-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than Source: Child Trends; www.childtrendsdatabank.org; May 15, 2003 19-year-olds. Every decade, more than 9,000 16-year-olds die in motor vehi- Thus, 16-year-olds’ emotional, psy- ages. He thinks learner’s permits cle accidents in the United States. chological and biological immaturity should not be issued to anyone younger Many safety experts blame the fact — combined with their inexperience than 17. that states — including those with grad- — explain why they have the high- “You hear talk of raising the age uated driver licensing — grant unsu- est percentages of single-vehicle crash- now and then,” says Williams of the pervised driving privileges at 16, which es and crashes involving speeding and IIHS. “But the political reality is that many safety advocates argue is too soon. driver error, as well as the highest ve- whenever it has come up, it never Besides being emotionally and psy- hicle-occupancy rates, according to the goes anywhere.” chologically immature, young, new dri- IIHS. “I think 16 certainly is too young vers face other challenges when mak- American teenagers are allowed to to drive,” concurs Harsha of the Gov- ing decisions and judgments. Susan drive at younger ages than in most ernors Highway Safety Association. Scharoun, chairman of the psycholo- other countries. In Northern Europe, “But it’s very difficult politically, es- gy department at Le Moyne College, for instance, the minimum age for a pecially in farm states, to raise the in Syracuse, N.Y., notes that biologi- beginning driver is typically 18; in Eng- age. There’s not enough public or po- cal factors influence teenage behav- land, it’s 17. By contrast, an adoles- litical support yet for increasing the ior, particularly when risk-taking is in- cent in Michigan can obtain a learn- age. Possibly in the future.” volved. Recent research shows that er’s permit at 14 years and nine months. Parents are often the biggest ob- hormonal activity and incomplete de- But the high crash rates of U.S. stacle to raising the driving age. As velopment of the frontal lobe of the teenagers lead many — like Syracuse, one mother has put it, “When they brain, which controls reasoning and N.Y., high school driver education in- get their license and they can drive memory, affect teen risk-taking be- structor Ed Bregande — to recommend themselves to practice and then drive havior, according to Scharoun. 37 that states raise their minimum driving home, for me, it was great.” 38
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 9 TEEN DRIVING
Williams explains that parents face GM pulled the ad after receiving merous driving hazards and emer- a dilemma: They want their kids to start the complaint. gencies in virtual reality. driving as soon as possible so the par- Some have argued that certain video “We’ve had over 3 million Web hits ents don’t have to chauffeur them around games — like “Grand Theft Auto,” which and 1.5 million game plays,” says anymore. “But they also know it’s dan- features reckless driving — have a sim- DaimlerChrysler’s Kreibich-Staruch. gerous for kids to drive,” he says. ilar negative influence on younger teens. “We’re capturing kids’ attention on av- Teens are predictable on the issue. But Buckholtz of teendriving.com erage for 16 minutes.” Asked if the minimum driving age should says, “I haven’t seen any indicators that More than 90 percent of teens who be raised to help re- played the game said it duce teen accident made them more aware and fatality rates, a of risks they hadn’t real- 16-year-old student ized, and 60 percent said at Northern Virginia they would be more care- Driving School an- ful driving as a result, ac- swers for the entire cording to a University of class when he says, Michigan study. 39 “Sure, right after they “Whether that 60 per- give me my license.” cent has actually been more Others argue for careful, we don’t know,” raising the driving Kreibich-Staruch says. But age because young agreeing that it’s “imprac- minds are suppos- tical,” as she puts it, to raise edly easily influenced the driving age when so by media images of many parents want their speed. Last summer, teens to start driving as for example, several soon as possible, the key highway and auto is more parental involve-
safety groups de- AP Photo/Jim Michaud ment in the early stages of manded that Gener- It took rescue workers more than an hour to extricate a teenage driver driving, she says. from her car after it became wedged between two large trucks near al Motors (GM) stop Andover, Conn., on Nov. 15, 2004. Nearly 20 percent of 16-year-old “Parents simply don’t running a TV com- drivers are involved in accidents in their first year of driving. understand the risks,” she mercial during the says. “Even when they Olympics that showed what appeared video games have that effect.” Instead raise their awareness, which is good, to be a 10-year-old boy — barely able of raising the minimum driving age, she parents don’t think it’ll happen to their to see over the steering wheel of a advocates a balance between needs kids. We had the father of a 16-year- Corvette — driving wildly through a and statistical reality. “A lot of kids at old girl who’d had her license for city. A voiceover in the ad called it 16 and 17 have part-time jobs and need three months and already had been “the official car of your dreams.” to go to activities. But that needs to be in two crashes, and he still didn’t think In a letter to GM Chairman G. tempered by really good rules.” she was a bad driver.” Richard Wagoner, the groups wrote, Teendriving.com recommends that “This ad is certainly among the most teens be forbidden from carrying other dangerous, anti-safety messages to be teenagers as passengers for the first aired on national television in recent full year after obtaining a license. years. . . . Ads glorifying speed and “Road Ready StreetWise” is a new BACKGROUND high performance are common enough video game thought to be having a these days, but this is one of the . . . positive influence on teen driving be- most reprehensible. Auto-industry ads havior. It is sponsored by Road- The Teen Brain promoting these illegal behaviors, es- ReadyTeens.org — a joint venture of pecially in sports and other muscle- DaimlerChrysler, AAA, National Safe- oung people between ages 15 type cars, are suspect because they ty Council, MADD, Hewlett Packard, Y and 19 are three times more like- target young people, and this ad un- WildTangent and Yahoo! Autos. The ly to die from all causes — primarily abashedly sinks to a new low.” video allows teens to experience nu- Continued on p. 12
10 The CQ Researcher Chronology
ernment begins collecting detailed 1996 1900s-1940s data on motor vehicle accidents. Florida becomes the first state to Automobiles become cheaper due institute a graduated driver licens- to mass production. 1970 ing (GDL) program. The following National Highway Transportation year, state authorities report a 9 1924 Safety Administration (NHTSA) is percent reduction in fatal crashes Henry Ford perfects the assembly established in the U.S. Department among 15-to-17-year-olds. line, making the Ford Model T the of Transportation (DOT). first successfully mass-marketed car. 1999 1974 After starting GDL programs, 1929 A study of driver education in Michigan reports a 25 percent re- National car sales reach 27 million. DeKalb County (Macon), Ga., casts duction and North Carolina a 27 doubt on its effectiveness in pre- percent reduction in fatal crashes • venting teen accidents. among 16-year-olds.
1975 • 1950s Postwar eco- The DOT’s Fatality Analysis Re- nomic boom creates generation porting System — in its first an- of teenagers who can afford nual report on vehicle deaths by 2000s-Present cars. Rise of rock ‘n’ roll music age group — reveals that more Approximately 6,000 teens still both celebrates and fuels the than 8,700 teenagers died on the die every year in motor vehicle growth of teen car culture. nation’s roads that year. accidents.
1955 1978 October 2000 In the movie “Rebel Without a The number of teens dying in car Congress establishes a .08 blood Cause,” hot cars and motorcycles crashes peaks at 9,940. alcohol concentration as the na- symbolize youthful defiance. tional threshold for drunken dri- • ving and gives states four years • to adopt it. 1980s Federal govern- 2004 1960s Advocates and ment tries to stop teen drink- Advocates and experts praise researchers begin to make auto- ing-and-driving; teen motor ve- the increasing number of states mobile safety a national issue. hicle deaths decline. with GDL programs but lobby for more restrictions on teen 1965 1984 nighttime driving and the num- In his book Unsafe at Any Speed, Congress passes National Minimum ber of adolescent passengers a consumer advocate Ralph Nader ac- Drinking Age Act, setting 21 as teen driver can carry. cuses U.S. automakers of marketing the federal limit for drinking. vehicles they know to be unsafe. August 2004 • Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. and 1966 Students Against Destructive Deci- President Lyndon Johnson signs sions issue a report suggesting National Traffic and Motor Vehicle 1990s State govern- that teenagers learn some of their Safety Act and Highway Safety Act. ments search for ways to de- worst driving behaviors from their crease the number of teen parents. • motor vehicle deaths. Many high schools stop offering dri- Fall 2004 ver education because of rising At least 17 young people are killed 1970s Disturbing trends insurance costs and doubts on Washington, D.C.-area roads, one begin to emerge after federal gov- about its effectiveness. of the worst streaks of teen driving fatalities in the nation’s history.
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 11 TEEN DRIVING
Teen Drivers and Alcohol: A Deadly Mixture
hen I was in my 20s, I thought Jimmy had merely Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, South Carolina been unlucky, which he was. When I was in my and Vermont — do not prohibit attempts to purchase alcohol by W 30s, I thought Jimmy had been foolish to drive after those under 21 as long as they do not use fake identification. 4 drinking, which he was. But when I was in my 40s, I realized While the minimum-drinking-age law has helped reduce teen that Jimmy had been misled by all of us — the alcohol indus- auto deaths due to drunken driving, it has not reduced teen al- try, the fraternity culture, and we, his friends — to think that cohol use. Approximately 80 percent of students say they have being young and having fun means drinking alcohol.” consumed alcohol by the end of high school, and two-thirds of — William DeJong, MADD Victim’s Tribute 1 high school seniors report having been drunk, according to Stu- dents Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). And illegal alcohol William DeJong was a typical teenager with few worries use is all the more dangerous because it must be hidden, so and little sense of his own mortality. All that changed when underage drinkers often drink in vehicles or secluded areas, in- his 19-year-old friend, Jimmy, died in an accident after driving creasing the chances for drunken driving. 5 drunk in Texas in 1971. Now a professor at Boston Universi- Teens who drink and drive are more likely to participate ty, DeJong has spent his life researching student alcohol use in other dangerous driving behaviors, like driving too fast for for the Center for Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Mothers the weather or traffic conditions and not wearing seat belts. Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Of the teen drivers who died in alcohol-related crashes in 2003, “At first, I wasn’t conscious that I was drawn to my work 74 percent were not wearing seat belts. 6 because of my friend,” DeJong says. “But I think about him Partly due to their inexperience and risk-taking behavior, every time I hear about a student that dies from drunk driving.” young drivers make up 14 percent of all drivers drunk or sober The legal drinking age throughout the United States was raised involved in fatal crashes — even though they represent less to 21 in 1984, too late to have an impact on DeJong’s friend. than 7 percent of all licensed drivers. 7 The number of alcohol-impaired teenage drivers involved in fatal While parents often look to legislators, law enforcement and crashes declined by 61 percent between 1982 and 1998, largely the community for answers, those groups continually cite par- due to the law, but the decline has stalled in recent years. 2 ents’ involvement as the best solution. Alcohol is still a factor in nearly a third of all fatal crashes “Parents can have a substantial impact if they are willing to involving 15-to-20-year-old drivers, and that number is holding set boundaries,” says Lucille Bauer, a public information offi- steady, says MADD President Wendy Hamilton. Alcohol is still cer for the police department in Montgomery County (Bethes- a major contributor to the deaths of 15 teenagers a day from da), Md., where more than a dozen fatal car accidents involv- automobile accidents. 3 ing teens occurred in 2004. “Despite what they say, young Education and increased enforcement of underage drinking people want limits, but unfortunately too many parents are laws are key weapons in the fight to save teenagers’ lives. afraid to set them. The police department wants to support “The minimum-drinking-age law saves 900 teen lives each year, parents in setting boundaries. We’d much prefer to prevent fatal but if the law were better enforced, we know we’d save even collisions than to investigate them.” more kids,” Hamilton says, citing loopholes in some states that MADD’s Hamilton agrees parents need outside support to limit the prosecution of teens for purchasing, attempting to pur- protect their children. “Teens are getting mixed messages from chase or possessing alcohol and the apparent ease of acquiring the community, the entertainment industry and the alcohol in- alcohol by teens in many communities. For example, 14 states dustry,” Hamilton says. “As a country, we’ve got to start talking — Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, about this. We need to change the perception that drinking is
Continued from p. 10 95 percent of its adult structure. But The findings explain a lot about teen auto accidents, followed by homicide, new research shows that the human behavior and risk taking — particu- suicide and drugs — than children brain undergoes another period of larly when driving is involved. ages 10 to 14. major development between the onset “Knowing that this decision-making Until recently, neuroscientists be- of adolescence and roughly age 21. area is still under construction explains lieved judgment-impairing surges of “The biggest changes are occurring plenty about teens,” the article con- hormones in the later teen years were in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, locat- tinued. “Researchers have found that responsible for this difference. 40 Scien- ed right behind the forehead, which even among youths who generally tists had long known that neural con- governs ‘executive’ thinking: our abil- show good judgment, the quality of nections form astonishingly quickly ity to use logic, make sound deci- decision-making fizzles in moments between birth and age 3, and that by sions and size up potential risks,” the of high arousal. Emotion, whether hap- age 6 the brain has already developed journal Prevention recently reported. piness, anger or jealousy — particu-
12 The CQ Researcher a rite of passage, that every teenager is doing it. There are kids But according to a study conducted by DeJong, rather who don’t drink.” than completely abstaining from alcohol, teenage designated But since statistics show that a large majority of teenagers drivers often tend to be the group member who has con- will try alcohol well before leaving high school, many police sumed the least amount of alcohol or considers himself the departments try to inform young drivers about the serious con- least drunk. The study found that 40 percent of all desig- sequences of mixing alcohol and driving. nated drivers on college campuses — where most students Bauer’s department recently introduced a program in which are still underage — drink at least one alcoholic beverage high school students drive a John Deere utility vehicle through before driving and more than 10 percent said they consumed an obstacle course while wearing special goggles that simulate five or more drinks and still drove home as the designated the vision and balance of someone who is legally drunk. driver. 9 “The students quickly realize how difficult it is to drive in an Parents, however, can still have a substantial impact on their impaired state; it really seems to make an impact,” Bauer says. children’s drinking and driving behaviors, according to a study MADD, SADD, law enforcement and advocacy groups spon- by SADD and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. The study found sor a host of other education programs targeting teens, but for that parents who actively discourage their children from drink- the most part, their success rates are unknown. ing are much more likely to raise substance-free teenagers. It Some advocates also suggest systemic changes, including also found that when parents talk to their kids about drinking, graduated driver’s licenses, driving curfews and crackdowns on instances of drinking and driving decreased from 18 percent to selling or providing alcohol to teens. Bauer says adult prose- 8 percent. 10 cution is harder because some parents let their teenagers drink “When parents commit to communicating with their chil- at home, thinking they are protecting their children by taking dren about this important issue, behaviors can change and lives away their car keys. Bauer’s department has a program, enti- can be saved,” Liberty Mutual Executive Vice President John tled “Parents Who Host Lose the Most,” which reminds par- B. Conners said. 11 ents of the consequences of providing alcohol to minors: cita- — Kate Templin tions and fines for parents and physical harm for their children. “The safest thing for parents is to not support any kind of alcohol use for their children because we know that besides 1 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), www.madd.org 2 drunk driving, it can lead to unwanted, unprotected sex; dan- Ibid. 3 gerous burns and falls and alcohol poisoning,” Hamilton says. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), www.nhtsa.dot.gov 4 MADD, op. cit. Parents may not have convinced their kids to abstain from 5 National Commission Against Drunk Driving, www.ncadd.com all alcohol, but they have generally succeeded in relating to their 6 NHTSA, op. cit. teens the concept that if they do drink when partying with their 7 “Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Young Drivers,” National Highway Traffic Safety friends, they should choose “designated drivers” who will remain Administration, www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2003/ 809774.pdf sober. American attitudes about drinking and driving shifted dra- 8 http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/alcohol.html matically in the late 1980s, following a major publicity campaign 9 William DeJong and Jay Winsten, “The Use of Designated Drivers by U.S. College Students,” The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug by the Harvard Alcohol Project, which convinced U.S. adults that Prevention, www.edc.org/hec/pubs/articles/des-drivers.pdf driving after drinking was irresponsible. Since the designated-dri- 10 “Teens Today,” SADD and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., www.saddon- ver campaign began in 1988, drunken driving deaths on U.S. line.com roads dropped from 23,626 in 1988 to 16,580 in 1994. 8 11 Liberty Mutual, www.libertymutual.com/personal/teen/2001_pressrelease.html larly when teens are with their peers wired knowledge about what’s wise- for all age groups were at least 25 years — overrides logic, making even the ly safe or stupidly dangerous. old. Worse, the majority of the data fo- smart ones momentarily dumb.” 41 Yet despite the wealth of statistics cuses on factors relating to prevention Researchers now believe the phe- showing the frequency with which teens of future injuries rather than crashes. 42 nomenon helps explain teen behavior crash and the obvious roles that inex- The lack of data was most acute re- that seems to make no sense, such as perience and immaturity play, little re- garding teen drivers. While graduated when a good student who normally search exists on specific reasons why driver licensing had been helping to respects parents’ rules ends up play- teen motor vehicle accidents occur. Bella reduce teen crashes, Dinh-Zarr said, ing a fatal game of chicken on a dark Dinh-Zarr, director of traffic safety pol- more information is needed because road. Teasing by peers about being icy for AAA, told the House Commit- teen crash rates remain disproportion- afraid, for instance, can temporarily tee on Transportation and Infrastructure ately high. “Very little is known about short-circuit a teen’s otherwise hard- in 2002 that data on crash causation the teenage driver,” she said. “By tar-
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 13 TEEN DRIVING
Some Cities Legalize Drag Racing
t Indianapolis Raceway Park, they call it “Midnight Mad- In recent years, some cities have begun channeling the rac- ness.” At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it’s “Midnight ers off the public streets and into controlled environments. San A Mayhem.” And at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, for- Diego began suffering “an epidemic” of street racing in the late mer home diamond of the Padres, it’s simply “RaceLegal.” 1990s, said Stephen Bender, an epidemiologist and professor But in each venue the story’s the same: Young men and emeritus in the graduate school of public health at San Diego women, mostly teenagers, competing in drag races to the cheers State University. 3 On any weekend night Bender said, more of friends and fans as police officers watch — or compete than 1,000 cars and 4,000 spectators would be involved in drag along with the kids. racing in the San Diego area. 4 In 2002, 16 teenagers were Illegal drag racing has existed almost as long as automo- killed and another 31 injured in the illegal contests. 5 biles. But ever since Hollywood began making movies about With funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety, dragsters in the 1950s, fast cars have become a foundation of Bender started RaceLegal in 1998 as part of a university pro- youth culture — spurring teens to see just how fast a car can gram at San Diego State. Competitors would have to wear go and striking fear in the hearts of parents and authorities. helmets and submit their cars to a safety inspection prior to Although no statistics exist detailing the extent and scope racing on a four-lane, eighth-mile (regulation length) strip in- of illegal street racing in America, The New York Times recent- side Qualcomm Stadium. Drivers paid a $20 entry fee, spec- ly reported that law enforcement officials across the country tators $5. say “it has become a serious problem.” 1 Some authorities be- At first, drag racers tended to avoid RaceLegal — why pay lieve the popularity of two recent drag-racing movies — “The for something they could keep doing on city streets for free? Fast and the Furious” in 2001, and its 2003 sequel, “2 Fast 2 The San Diego government responded by ratcheting up fines Furious” — are at least partly responsible. For instance, in 1999 and penalties for illegal racing and then formed a special un- the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles dercover police unit to enforce the new provisions. First in- recorded 28 illegal street-racing accidents; by 2003 the number fractions won racers a trip to jail in handcuffs, loss of vehicle had climbed to 82. 2 for 30 days, $2,500 in fines and two points on their driver’s li- geting research to find better informa- the first two decades of the 20th cen- Hollywood added another layer of tion about the cause of crashes — be- tury, Henry Ford perfected the use of meaning: Movies like “Rebel Without fore, during, and immediately after they the assembly line and quickly brought a Cause” (1955) made dragsters and occur — we can design better inter- the price of a car to within reach of motorcycles a form of anti-establish- ventions to protect young drivers.” 43 almost any working family. By 1924, ment defiance for alienated youth. The Further research into brain-devel- a Model T cost $290. film’s wild popularity among teenagers opment stages in late adolescence The American economy began to spawned imitators like “Hot Rod Girl” could help shed light on specific caus- surge in the 1920s, and cars became (1956), “Hot Rod Rumble” (1957) and es of crashes. the main symbol of growth. From 1916 “Dragstrip Girl” (1957). to 1929, U.S. annual car sales tripled Such movies typically played at from 9 million to 27 million. 44 The drive-in theaters, which made cars sym- Car Culture American car culture was born. bolically important — as the place The postwar boom of the 1950s where teen dating often began. he most powerful influence on spawned the teen car culture. As the Driving was, in a word, cool. As a T teenagers’ relationships with cars economy once again surged — offer- man in his 60s who fondly remembers has been American pop culture, which ing plenty of part-time jobs to students those days has put it, “Between 1957 has always viewed cars as more than — teenagers could afford used cars and 1959, my friends and I learned all merely a means of transportation. When of their own. And they made them a the rituals that young boys needed to they first appeared, automobiles were reflection of themselves. know concerning driving. We learned expensive, putting them out of the “The ability to tune and soup-up how important it was to be noticed reach of the average American. A car muscle cars gave average Joes the op- behind the wheel of a fast car or with was a symbol of riches and fame. portunity to show off their power, their someone who had one. It was a time That began to change with the ad- speed and their style in a way that in our lives that we had looked for- vent of the first mass-produced auto- personified the car as character,” notes ward to, having seen those slightly older mobile — the Ford Model T. During a history of the period. 45 than us doing the same things.” 46
14 The CQ Researcher censes, which also were suspended for a full year. A second The cars are all kinds — from Mustang Mach 1’s and Chev- infraction caused complete forfeiture of vehicle and longer jail elle sport coupes to Volvos and pickup trucks. Most of the rac- time. Spectators were fined $1,000. 6 ers are male, but females show up occasionally — and win. Street racers and their fans started to see the economic sense Sometimes police officers race, too, offering teenagers a chance of going to RaceLegal. In 2001, San Diego prosecutors filed to go head-to-head with a souped-up sheriff’s cruiser. 290 illegal racing cases; in 2002 they filed 155, and in 2003 DeNecochea says RaceLegal’s insurer requires an ambulance they filed only 60. Most important, Lydia DeNecochea, pro- during all racing heats. “In all the years we’ve been doing this,” gram director of RaceLegal, says that in 2004, only six illegal she says, “there’ve been only four crashes. Three drove away street racers died and 15 were injured. without a problem. One went to the hospital, but he was later “Our success is really a combination of all the efforts,” released OK.” DeNecochea says, referring to the city’s toughened fines and Allan F. Williams, chief scientist at the Insurance Institute penalties along with the police department’s aggressive en- for Highway Safety, acknowledges the growing popularity of forcement. “The alternative that RaceLegal offers is important, programs like RaceLegal. But he isn’t sure what the long-term but if any of those other efforts were to weaken, I think we’d impact might be. “I’m a researcher,” he says. “There just isn’t see a change in the statistics.” a lot [of data] on legal street racing yet.” On a typical winter night, RaceLegal now attracts about 250 racers and 1,500 spectators, DeNecochea says. (In sum- 1 See George P. Blumberg, “Full Throttle and Fully Legal,” The New York mer, 350 cars and 2,500 spectators.) Though police officers Times, Sept. 17, 2004, p. F1. 2 ensure that the races are organized and run properly, com- Ibid. 3 See Leonard Sax, “Teens Will Speed. Let’s Watch Them Do It,” The Wash- petitors sign a liability waiver. After showing a valid dri- ington Post, Nov. 28, 2004, p. B8. ver’s license and passing a vehicle safety inspection, they 4 Blumberg, op. cit. then form two lines leading to the starting line of the drag 5 “About Us,” RaceLegal.com; www.racelegal.com. strip. 6 Blumberg, op. cit.
At the same time, teens seemed to That year, more than 8,700 teens drop in alcohol-crash-related statistics identify with rock ‘n’ roll music as (ages 13-19) died on U.S. roads. More ever for those age groups. 49 much as they did with their cars. Rock than likely, similar numbers had been During the same period, media at- music and cars seemed made for each dying in previous years because sub- tention focused on the problem of other in the 1950s: Many music crit- sequent years witnessed a steady in- teen drinking and driving as well, pro- ics and historians have remarked that crease in teen highway deaths: from ducing an additional positive effect, since its earliest days and even now, 9,356 in 1976 to 9,940 in 1978. 47 says Wallace of SADD. much of rock is about either cars or During the 1980s, the number of Nevertheless, the number of teen girls. Some of the first rockers on the teens killed in motor vehicle accidents deaths on highways still seemed ex- scene, from Eddie Cochrane to the fluctuated between a high of around traordinarily high to some experts. “I’ve Beach Boys, often sang about both. 8,300 and a low of about 6,700. 48 Ex- studied this problem for 25 years, and And in cities and towns large and perts attributed the decrease in deaths for a long time nobody paid attention small across America, the songs could from the previous decade to passage to it at all,” says Williams of the IIHS. be heard blaring from teenagers’ car of the National Minimum Drinking “They sort of looked at [teen driving radios. Age Act (NMDAA) of 1984, which deaths] as collateral damage. raised the drinking age to 21. “In fact,” he points out, “the idea In 1982, for example, 41 percent of of graduated licensing goes back to Teen Slaughter 16- and 17-year-olds and 57 percent of the 1970s. NHTSA tried to prompt 18-to-20-year-olds who died in car crash- states to adopt GDL programs, but no t wasn’t until 1975 that the De- es had blood alcohol content (BAC) of luck. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that I partment of Transportation’s Fatal- .08 or more. In 1985, the first year fol- it got started, and I don’t know why. ity Analysis Reporting System began lowing enactment of NMDAA, the rates It’s always been kind of a mystery.” collecting basic data on highway ac- had dropped to 27 percent of 16- and Though variations in the different cidents by age groups. Disturbing trends 17-year-olds and 44 percent of 18-to- state programs and in methods of eval- quickly emerged. 20-year-olds — the largest one-year uating them made it impossible to as-
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 15 TEEN DRIVING
Did You Know . . . ? • Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for CURRENT American teenagers. SITUATION • An average of 10 teen drivers a day were killed in fatal accidents in the United States in 2003. Another 308,000 were injured in fatal crashes. Tougher GDLs? • Young people ages 15-20 make up 6.7 percent of the total driving population but are involved in 14 percent of all fatal crashes. ow that most states have GDL • Nearly one in five 16-year-old drivers is involved in an accident N programs, the challenge is mak- in the first year of driving. ing them tougher. “In lots of places, • Two out of three teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in the laws are weak,” Williams says. 2002 were males. The IIHS and other groups, such as Advocates for Highway and Auto Safe- • Since 1975, teen auto deaths have decreased more among males ty (AHAS), call for tougher passenger (40 percent) than among females (9 percent). restrictions and earlier curfews. In • 52 percent of teenage auto deaths in 2002 occurred between 9 2002, 87 percent of teenagers who p.m. and 6 a.m. died in crashes were passengers, and • In 2003, 25 percent of the young drivers killed in auto accidents 41 percent died between 9 p.m. and were legally drunk. 6 a.m., even though night driving ac- counted for only about 15 percent of • In 2003, 28 percent of the young, male drivers involved in fatal the miles driven by teens. 53 crashes had been drinking, compared with 13 percent of the The AHAS recently asked state leg- young, female drivers involved in fatal crashes. islatures nationwide to pass new laws • 65 percent of young drivers who had been drinking and were to help reduce all motor vehicle deaths, involved in fatal crashes in 2003 were not wearing seat belts. citing in particular the need to address teens’ late-night driving. At the same • 65 percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another time, MADD, DaimlerChrysler, the NTSB, teenager is driving. NSC and AAA asked states to bar teens • Nearly half of the fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers are from carrying teenage passengers dur- single-vehicle crashes. ing their first six months of driving. 54 Harsha of the Governors Highway Sources: “Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Young Drivers,” National Highway Traffic Safety Association is urging states to de- Safety Administration, 2003, and “Fatality Facts: Teenagers 2002,” Insurance velop programs that focus specifically on Institute for Highway Safety, 2002 older teen drivers. “Older teens have three problems,” she says. “They have the low- sess the overall effectiveness of GDL, dropped from 42 in 1980 to 25 in est seat belt use of any population,” she individual states could report their own 1998. 51 And while in 1975 more than says. “And they tend to speed and drive results. For instance, in 1997, after the 8,700 13-to-19-year-olds died in drunk. So you need underage-drinking first year of its GDL program, Florida motor vehicle accidents, by 2002 the programs and programs targeting teen reported a 9 percent reduction in fatal number was down to 5,933. 52 seat belt use and speeding.” crashes among 15-to-17-year-olds. In But the declines have slowed since Parental — and, hence, state — re- 1999, Michigan reported a 25 percent the late ’90s. The number of teen deaths sistance to passenger and nighttime re- reduction in crashes among 16-year- per 100,000 population has remained strictions so far haven’t deterred some, olds, and North Carolina reported a 27 at about 25 since 1998, and the num- like Maryland Rep. Mandel, who plans percent reduction. 50 ber of 13-to-19-year-olds dying in crash- to reintroduce her bill restricting the In fact, teen driving accidents have es has been inching up since 1993, number of passengers allowed in cars declined significantly over the last 25- prompting the current concern and driven by Maryland teenagers. The Mary- 30 years. In the 15-19 age group, debate over what more can and land Senate has passed a similar bill. deaths per 100,000 population should be done. Continued on p. 18
16 The CQ Researcher At Issue:
AreYes driver education courses for teenagers effective?
ALLEN ROBINSON ALLAN F. WILLIAMS CEO, AMERICAN DRIVER AND TRAFFIC SAFETY CHIEF SCIENTIST, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION ASSOCIATION HIGHWAY SAFETY
WRITTEN FOR THE CQ RESEARCHER, DECEMBER 2004 WRITTEN FOR THE CQ RESEARCHER, DECEMBER 2004
ou have heard before that driver education is not ef- river education for beginners might be a conve- fective. You will read in the opposing counterpoint nient way to learn basic driving skills, but it does y that driver education is not effective. Why is that? d not produce drivers less likely to be in crashes. Part of the explanation is that researchers and traffic- This is not a matter of opinion. The best scientific evalua- safety professionals have used erroneous research design to tions of driver education all over the world come to this evaluate driver education. Using fatalities as a comparison conclusion. The most recent review finds “little evidence that between trained and untrained drivers is an inappropriate pre-license training per se reduces crash rates in the short or approach. The reason they cannot be used in a random longer term.” experiment is that there are too few fatalities to produce Studies also have found an association between driver educa- significant results. tion and earlier licensure, which enhances mobility at the ex- The only valid, random evaluation of driver education pense of safety. Moreover, research indicates that courses teach- has been the DeKalb study. When traffic crashes are used ing advanced driving maneuvers — such as skid control — as a measure of effectiveness, the DeKalb study showed lead to more rather than fewer crashes by inspiring overconfi- that, among those licensed to drive and who had taken dence and risk taking. driver education, accidents were significantly reduced dur- There is no mystery about why driver education fails to ing the firstyes six months. The estimated magnitude of reduc- reduce crashes. noPeer, parental, personal and other social in- tion ranges from 10-20 percent, depending upon control fluences that shape driving styles and crash involvement — over outside variables. which are largely beyond the reach of instructors — can Too often, comparisons are made of students who have readily overwhelm safety messages. As early as the 1970s, not taken driver education with those who have taken dri- researcher Pat Waller noted the unrealistic expectations we ver education. Those who completed driver education ob- have of driver education teachers, compared with teachers of tained a license and were driving while those who did not other subjects. She asked, “Should the driver education complete a driver education program were not driving. teacher be responsible only for whether the student can When researchers do not control for exposure rates, how drive adequately, or whether he does drive in this manner?” can you compare accident rates of two groups that are not No one expects a few hours of instruction in wood- equal that have different exposure rates? working or culinary arts to produce skilled craftsmen or The high initial rate of accidents is due to the inexperi- gourmet cooks, so why should we expect a few hours of ence of new drivers. The duration of benefit in the DeKalb driver education to produce skilled drivers? Even if it did, study was limited to six months. The first six months of skilled drivers are not necessarily safe drivers. driving is the greatest risk for all new drivers and is where Despite decades of research indicating that driver educa- the accident experience is the highest. Studies conducted tion does not reduce crashes among beginners, it continues by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have demon- to have tremendous popular appeal. There is great variation strated that the accident rate drops by two-thirds in the in the quality of driver education courses in the United first 700 miles of driving. States, so it is difficult to generalize about how well they If not driver education, then what? Without formal driver teach beginners necessary skills. But even the best course is education meeting some specified set of requirements, in- only a first step. struction of new teenage drivers would be left to family, Experience and maturity are the keys to becoming a friends or schools operating under no specific require- safer driver. In the United States we have recognized this ments. by adopting graduated licensing, a main component of When asked, the majority of parents favor driver educa- which extends the learner’s period to maximize the amount tion. Driver education depends on well-prepared teachers of supervised driving by young beginners before they are teaching safe driving practices using the best available licensed. Parents do most of the supervising. This is the
teachingNo techniques and curricula. best formula for preparing young beginners for the delights — and dangers — of driving.
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 17 TEEN DRIVING
Continued from p. 16 But others don’t like that idea. “I Moreover, a recent study questions “My House colleagues just haven’t fo- wouldn’t want states to base teen dri- whether parents are the best driving in- cused on the issue,” she says. Howev- ving restrictions on monetary incen- structors or role models. In 2004, SADD er, she believes the recent deaths of at tives,” Mandel says. “I’d rather they and Liberty Mutual Insurance surveyed least 17 young people on Washington- base them on wanting to save lives.” some 3,500 middle and high school stu- area roads, including some in her dis- Others, like Balko of the Cato Institute dents. About two-thirds said their par- trict, may give impetus to the legislation. and Skrum of the National Motorists ents were or would be the greatest in- Mandel hopes to follow the lead of Association, oppose the idea because fluence on their driving habits — the Illinois state Sen. John Cullerton, who they feel that states are the best judges same percentage that said their parents in 2003 sponsored a bill that prohib- of their own driving restrictions. talk on cell phones while driving. In ited any driver under 18 from driving Nearly all advocacy groups are seek- addition, almost half said their parents with more than one passenger under ing ways to develop or encourage par- speed, and 31 percent reported their 20, except for family members. Sub- ents to be more involved with teach- parents didn’t wear their seat belts. 56 urban mothers, who originally opposed ing their teenagers to drive, particularly The parental habits were clearly re- the restriction because it would mean in supervising them during their first flected in the habits of the licensed dri- continued chauffeuring duties, finally months of receiving a learner’s permit. vers who were surveyed: 62 percent said supported the bill after learning about “We advocate that parents log 100 they talk on a cell phone while driving; statistics suggesting the restriction could hours minimum driving with their kids, 67 percent were speeders, and 33 per- save lives. Their support convinced the taking them out in bad conditions, show- cent didn’t wear a seat belt. 57 legislature to enact the bill. 55 “Parents have to lead by ex- But police officers can’t tell by ample,” says DaimlerChrysler’s looking whether young drivers or Kreibich-Staruch. “There’s no need their passengers are under the to eat while driving, change age limits. “It’s hard for police to “We advocate that parents clothes while driving, put on enforce these things,” Williams make-up or shave. Teens will says. “GDL laws are sometimes log 100 hours minimum think that’s all OK.” so complex that police don’t even She recommends that parents know what they are.” Hence, many driving with their kids.” go to the RoadReadyTeens.org advocates insist that parents be Web site, which has a portal the real enforcers of passenger — Eileen Buckholtz, dedicated to helping parents learn restrictions and curfews. the most effective ways to pos- The federal government, lack- Administrator, itively influence their teenagers’ ing any direct authority over motor- driving. vehicle laws, concentrates on its teendriving.com Meanwhile, the American Healthy People 2010 initiative, Driver and Traffic Safety Edu- which aims to identify the most cation Association continues to significant preventable threats to help states upgrade their dri- public health and establish national ing them the situations they may en- ver education programs. For exam- goals to reduce them. Some of the goals counter and giving them a chance to ple, ADTSEA recommends that pro- seek to reduce automobile fatalities; none practice,” says Buckholtz of teendriv- grams emphasize teaching student focuses specifically on teens, but each ing.com. “That’s about the minimum you drivers to anticipate risky situations involves particular issues that affect teens, need before you can drive on your own.” and how best to respond to them. such as speeding and alcohol. Some states already have a parent- Some states, like Michigan, have ex- Some observers speculate that Wash- student driver requirement, but it is not panded driver education by requir- ington could link federal highway fund- known whether parents actually fulfill ing a preliminary, standard course ing to state compliance with federal it. Maryland, for example, requires for new drivers, then a second round preferences for more state restrictions teenagers to log at least 40 hours of of more detailed driver education on teen driving — the same method driving with their parents before ap- after six months of driving with a by which the federal government con- plying for a provisional license. “But restricted license. vinced states to accept a national we have to go on the parents’ word,” “We’re trying to increase the matu- speed limit of 55 miles per hour (since says Jeff Tosi, a spokesman for the rity and experience of young drivers,” repealed) and a 0.08 BAC rule. Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Robinson said. 58
18 The CQ Researcher the risks of marijuana use and driving. He remains optimistic. “When you Notes OUTLOOK get people to focus on the problems,” he says, “they start to respond.” 1 See Tom Jackman, “Fairfax Girl, 16, Killed RoadReadyTeens.org is hoping teens in Crash of SUV,” The Washington Post, Dec. The Marijuana Menace and parents will respond to a CD-ROM 5, 2004, p. C1. it plans to distribute in a trial with the 2 See Fredrick Kunkle and Elizabeth Williamson, hope teen accident rates go down,” state motor vehicle offices of California, “As Dreams Die Young, Answers are Elusive; I says Wallace of SADD, echoing the Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Teen Traffic Fatalities Spur Calls for Change,” sentiments of all safety advocates. York. It will include safety information The Washington Post, Oct. 24, 2004, p. A1. 3 But they’ll need more than hope: and advice for parents as well the video Ibid. 4 Despite some lowering of teen deaths game “StreetWise” for teens. When par- “Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Young Drivers,” and injuries from motor vehicle crash- ents take their teenagers to apply for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administra- tion, 2004. es when GDL programs were first im- license, “there’s usually a long wait in 5 Ibid. See also, National Highway Traffic plemented, teen auto death and injury DMV offices,” DaimlerChrysler’s Kreibich- Safety Administration Office of Public Affairs, rates have either remained essentially Staruch says. “This will give them some- December 2004. unchanged or increased over the last thing to do. As we raise awareness, I 6 “Traffic Safety Facts 2003,” op. cit. several years, depending on how the think it’ll filter down to teens, but I don’t 7 “Q&A: Teenagers,” Insurance Institute for data are analyzed. know when we’ll see any big change Highway Safety, March 2004; www.iihs.org/safe- Harsha, of the Governors Highway in fatality rates.” ty_facts/qanda/teens.htm. Safety Association, points out that every Some businesses see a market in par- 8 National Center for Health Statistics, Centers year more teenagers take to the roads as ents who may think the only way to for Disease Control, December 2004. 9 the teen population increases, and safe- make sure their teenagers drive safely “Teen Driving Death Rate Soaring,” CBSNews.com, ty programs and initiatives take a while is to watch them every time they drive. Oct. 21, 2004. 10 “Teen Drivers,” Fact Sheet, National Cen- to have a significant impact. “So, for the SmartDriver of Houston, Texas, and Road ter for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers foreseeable future we’ll continue to see Safety International of Thousand Oaks, for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov/ncipc/fact- what we’ve been seeing,” she says. Calif., have created electronic monitor- sheets/teenmvh.htm. Wallace fears that teens driving under ing devices that can be easily installed 11 Fact Sheet, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the influence of drugs may be the next on newer model cars. The devices record www.madd.org/stats/0,1056,1807,00.html. obstacle to reducing accident rates. various parameters of a vehicle in op- 12 “Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Young Drivers,” “It’s the phantom menace that nobody’s eration, including speed. One device op. cit. talking about,” he says. In presenta- can even sound an alarm if the vehi- 13 “Young Drivers: The High-Risk Years,” video tions at high schools around the coun- cle exceeds a particular speed or if the presentation, Insurance Institute for Highway driver does not wear a seat belt. 60 Safety, 2002. try, Wallace has discovered that teens 14 have three myths about marijuana: It But the effect that any measures — Ibid. 15 Ibid. doesn’t impair driving ability; it’s not old or new — will have remains elu- 16 See James Hedlund, et. al. “What we know, harmful and it’s not addictive. sive. As Kreibich-Staruch observes, “It’s what we don’t know, and what we need to “It is,” he says. tough to say what’s going to happen. know about Graduated Licensing,” Journal Yet, while 30 percent of teenagers We can only hope that parents and teens of Safety Research, Vol. 34, No. 1 (January say they can’t drink because they’ll be will work together to solve this.” 2003), pp. 107-115. driving, only 18 percent will say they can’t use drugs because they’ll be dri- ving, according to the SADD-Liberty About the Author Mutual study. And the majority — 68 William Triplett covered science and the arts for such percent — of licensed teen drivers publications as Smithsonian, Air & Space, Nature, Wash- who use drugs regularly said they fre- ingtonian and The Washington Post before joining the quently drug and drive. 59 CQ Researcher staff. He also served as associate editor SADD has joined with the White of Capitol Style magazine. He holds a B.A. in journalism House Office of National Drug Control from Ohio University and an M.A. in English literature Policy to launch a “Steer Clear of Pot” from Georgetown University. His recent reports include campaign, Wallace says. The goal is to “Search for Extraterrestrials” and “Broadcast Indecency.” educate both parents and teenagers about
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 19 TEEN DRIVING
17 Patrick Welsh, “Sweet 16: Not for driving,” USA Today, Nov. 29, 2004, p. 15A 18 “Teens ‘Inherit’ Parents’ Bad Driving Habits; FOR MORE INFORMATION Annual Liberty Mutual/SADD Teen Driving Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety, 750 First St., N.E., Suite 901, Wash- Study Shows Parent Driving Behaviors Mir- ington, DC 20002; (202) 408-1711; www.saferoads.org. A coalition of insurers, citi- rored by Their Kids,” press release, Aug. 10, zens’ groups and public health and safety organizations. 2004; www.libertymutual.com. 19 “A Youthquake is Coming! Increased Traffic American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association, Highway Safety Cen- Deaths Feared From Surge in Teen Population,” ter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, R & P Bldg., Indiana, PA 15705; (724) American Driver & Traffic Safety Education As- 357-3975; www.adtsea.org. Works with driver’s education instructors and state au- sociation, http://adtsea.iup.edu/ adtsea/resource_li- thorities to improve driver’s education standards and practices. brary/young_driver_articles/youthquake.htm. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arling- 20 Ibid. ton, VA 22201; (703) 247-1500; www.iihs.org. Researches highway safety and con- 21 “Q&A: Teenagers,” op. cit. See also Fredrick ducts crash tests on new cars and trucks; funded by auto insurance companies. Kunkle and Elizabeth Williamson, “Safety Ex- perts Doubt Benefits Of Driver’s Ed; Lots of Prac- Mothers Against Drunk Driving, P.O. Box 541688, Dallas, TX 75354-1688; (800) tice With Parent Seen as Surest Way to Learn,” GET-MADD; www.madd.org. With more than 600 chapters nationwide, fights drunken driving and supports victims of alcohol-related crimes. The Washington Post, Nov. 22, 2004, p. A1. 22 Ibid. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Wash- 23 Ibid. ington, DC 20590; (202) 366-9550; www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Issues vehicle safety stan- 24 “Q&A: Teenagers,” op. cit. dards, investigates safety defects and orders recalls when necessary. 25 “Introduction: The Need for Graduated Dri- ver Licensing,” National Highway Transportation National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Dr., Itasca, IL 60143; (630) 285-1121; www.nsc.org. Conducts research and provides information on highway safety. Safety Administration; www.nhtsa. dot.gov/peo- ple/injury/newdriver/SaveTeens/sect1.html. RoadReadyTeens, www.roadreadyteens.org. An online safety program for parents 26 Hedlund, et al., op. cit. and teens sponsored by several corporate and nonprofit safety groups. 27 “Q&A: Teenagers,” op. cit. 28 Kunkle and Williamson, “As Dreams Die Students Against Destructive Decisions, P.O. Box 800, Marlborough, MA 01752; Young,” op. cit. (877) SADD-INC; www.sadd.org. A peer-to-peer education organization with 10,000 chapters in middle and high schools. 29 National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, December 2004. 30 See Allan F. Williams, “Teenage Drivers: Transportation Research Institute, 2003. 51 “Motor Vehicle Deaths,” Child Trends Data Patterns at Risk,” Journal of Safety Research, 40 See Sarah Mahoney, “What was he thinking? Bank, 2003, www.childtrendsdatabank.org. Vol. 34, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 5-15. Don’t blame it all on hormones. New research 52 “Fatality Facts: Teenagers 2002,” op. cit. 31 Ibid. shows what really happened,” Prevention, 53 “Q&A: Teenagers,” op. cit. See also Teen 32 “Q&A: Teenagers,” op. cit. March 1, 2004, p. 158. Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety, 33 “Young Drivers: The High-Risk Years,” op. cit. 41 Ibid. National Safety Council, 2004, p. 33. 34 See Allan F. Williams, “Teenage Passen- 42 Bella Dinh-Zarr, testimony before the House 54 See Rebecca Dana, “States Implored to Curb gers in Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Summary Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc- Teen Driving; Graduated Licensing, Limits on of Current Research,” Insurance Institute for ture, June 27, 2002. Passengers Urged by Safety Groups,” The Wash- Highway Safety, December 2001. 43 Ibid. ington Post, Dec. 17, 2004, p. B1. 35 “Teens and Driving,” http://teenink.com/ 44 “U.S. Economic History,” Microsoft Encarta. 55 See Melissa Savage, “Surviving Driving,” Past/1998/9586.html. 45 “Car Culture in America — Captivating Gen- State Legislatures, February 2004, p. 16. 36 See Jon Walker, “Teen-driving bill conve- eration After Generation,” www.doityour- 56 “Teens ‘Inherit’ Parents’ Bad Driving nient, but is it safe?,” Argus (Sioux Falls, S.D.) self.com/auto/carculture.htm. Habits; Annual Liberty Mutual/SADD Teen Leader, Feb. 23, 2004, p. 1A. 46 See Russ Lancaster, “Cruising and Dragging: Driving Study Shows Parent Driving Behav- 37 See Jim McKeever, “Recent Deaths Raise teen-agers and their cars,” www.history. iors Mirrored by Their Kids,” press release, Alarm About Teen Drivers; Hormones, Lack ilstu.edu/nhp/civilization/Site/car_cruising.html. Aug. 10, 2004. of Brain Development Put Them at Higher 47 “Fatality Facts: Teenagers 2002,” Insurance 57 Ibid. Risk for Accidents,” The [Syracuse, N.Y.] Post- Institute for Highway Safety, www.iihs.org/safe- 58 See Fred Bayles, “States Trying To Shift Standard, Oct. 24, 2004, p. A16. ty_facts/fatality_facts/teens.htm. the Decline in Driver’s Education,” USA Today, 38 “Young Drivers,” Insurance Institute for 48 Ibid. Sept. 22, 2003, p. 3A. Highway Safety, op. cit. 49 Ibid. 59 SADD-Liberty Mutual study, op. cit. 39 C. R. Bingham and J. T. Shope, “An Initial 50 “Fact Sheet: Graduated Licensing,” Advo- 60 See Jeanne Wright, “Black Boxes Can Moni- Evaluation of the Road Ready Teens Video Game: cates for Highway and Auto Safety, July 2003, tor Teen Drivers,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 29, Final Report,” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, www.saferoads.org/issues/fs-GDL.htm. 2003, Part 7, p. 1.
20 The CQ Researcher Bibliography Selected Sources
Books Happened,” Prevention, March 1, 2004, p. 158. New research reveals that children undergo a second pe- Crossman, Donna R., and Richard Crossman, Sixteen Is riod of significant brain development between the onset of Too Young to Drive: Taking Control When Your Teen’s adolescence and about age 21, suggesting that poor driving Behind-the-Wheel, Footnote Publishing, 2002. behaviors and decisions may be neurologically influenced. Parents with 25 years of combined experience as defensive- driving instructors advise parents on how to safely manage McKeever, Jim, “Recent Deaths Raise Alarm About Teen their teens’ efforts at learning to drive. Drivers; Hormones, Lack of Brain Development Put Them at Higher Risk for Accidents,” The (Syracuse, N.Y.) Post- Teen Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety, National Standard, Oct. 24, 2004, p. A16. Safety Council, 2004. The motor vehicle deaths of three area high school stu- American and foreign experts helped prepare this detailed, dents cause parents to caution their teenagers about driving reader-friendly synthesis of the findings of a symposium on too many teen passengers. graduated driver licensing programs. Savage, Melissa, “Surviving Driving,” State Legislatures, Articles February 2004, p. 16. Teen drivers continue to crash at disproportionately high Durbin, Dee-Ann, “Uniform driver education programs rates, but states hold the power to bring the rates down needed for teens, experts say,” The Associated Press, through better enforcement of graduated driver licensing pro- Oct. 28, 2003. visions and instituting further restrictions on teen drivers. The American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Associ- ation calls for national driver education standards so teenagers Reports and Studies everywhere can receive uniform training. “Fatality Facts: Teenagers 2002,” Insurance Institute for Glasser, Debbie, “Parents, Teens Should Make Driving Highway Safety. Contract; Positive Parenting,” The Miami Herald, Oct. 28, Data showing teen crash rates and some causative factors 2004, p. SW4. date back to 1975. Parents should supervise their teen drivers by monitoring their behavior and setting restrictions, Glasser writes. “Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Young Drivers,” National High- way Traffic Safety Administration, 2004. Gutierrez, Hector, “Teen Driver Limits Gain Support,” Annual compilation of statistics concerning motor vehicle Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 6, 2004, p. 10A. accidents, deaths and injuries among teenagers. As Colorado state legislators weigh a bill proposing teen passenger restrictions, parents urge the government to con- Hedlund, James, et. al., “What we know, what we don’t know, sider even more restrictions. and what we need to know about Graduated Licensing,” Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 34, No. 1 (January 2003), Kunkle, Fredrick, and Elizabeth Williamson, “As Dreams Die pp. 107-115. Young, Answers are Elusive; Teen Traffic Fatalities Spur Calls An interpretation and summary of the extensive research and for Change,” The Washington Post, Oct. 24, 2004, p. A1. data presented at a 2002 symposium sponsored by the Na- A recent spate of teen driving accidents in the Washington, tional Safety Council on graduated driver licensing programs. D.C., area prompts experts and parents to question existing safety practices and standards. Williams, Allan F., “Teenage Drivers: Patterns at Risk,” Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 34, No. 1 (January 2003), Kunkle, Fredrick, and Elizabeth Williamson, “Safety Experts pp. 5-15. Doubt Benefits Of Driver’s Ed; Lots of Practice With Parent The chief scientist for the Insurance Institute for Highway Seen as Surest Way to Learn,” The Washington Post, Nov. Safety identifies patterns of teen driving risks. 22, 2004, p. A1. Safety experts argue that driver’s education does not re- Williams, Allan F., “Teenage Passengers in Motor Vehicle duce teen crash rates and that more direct parental in- Crashes: A Summary of Current Research,” Insurance volvement with their teens’ driving is the key. Institute for Highway Safety, December 2001. A detailed overview of research showing clearly that as the Mahoney, Sarah, “What Was He Thinking? Don’t Blame number of teen passengers in a car increases, so does the it All on Hormones. New Research Shows What Really chance for a deadly accident.
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 21 The Next Step: Additional Articles from Current Periodicals
Dangerous Behavior Chawkins, Steve, and Holly Wolcott, “Deaths of 4 Teens Grip City,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 26, 2004, p. Lombardi, Kate, “Mom, May I Have the Keys?” The New B1. York Times, Sept. 28, 2003, Sec. 14, p. 1. Four juniors at a Southern California high school are mourned Far more often than driving while intoxicated, inexperi- after being killed while driving on a rain-slicked highway. ence — which can lead to recklessness, inattentiveness and poor judgment — is injuring and killing teenage drivers. Cho, Hanah, “Students Grieve After Loss of Classmates,” The Baltimore Sun, Sept. 28, 2004, p. 1B. Mui, Ylan, “A Potentially Costly Thrill,” The Washington Two teens are dead and one is in critical condition after Post, Nov. 28, 2002, p. B1. being involved in one of three fatal car crashes involving Virginia teens are seeking the rush of “hill hopping:” speed- teen drivers and excessive speed in Montgomery County. ing up and over a hill until their car briefly takes flight. Helderman, Rosalind, “For Students, Losses Are Becoming Schrader, Ann, “Reckless Teen Driving Rattles Adults,” Too Familiar,” The Washington Post, April 1, 2004, p. T1. The Denver Post, March 10, 2003, p. A1. The deaths of three teenagers in less than a week have A 17-year-old boy was caught going 45 mph above the plunged a Virginia town’s schools into a seemingly unend- speed limit at the same intersection where three of his class- ing crisis mode. mates were killed only three days earlier. Lamb, David, “A Small Town Grapples With Loss of 7 Driver Education Teenagers,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 1, 2004, p. A10. Seven North Carolina teenagers lost their bid to outrun the Bayles, Fred, “States Trying To Shift the Decline in Driver’s police while joy-riding in a stolen car, hitting a tree at 100 Education,” USA Today, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 3A. mph and dying instantly. In many states, high school driver’s education has gone from a rite of passage to an often ignored program. But Graduated Driver Licenses (GDLs) prodded by safety groups, some states are trying to revive and update their driver’s ed curriculums. Dana, Rebecca, “States Implored to Curb Teen Driving; Graduated Licensing, Limits on Passengers Urged by Cohen, Jodi, “Driver’s Ed Costs in High Gear,” Chicago Safety Groups,” The Washington Post, Dec. 17, 2004, p. Tribune, Jan. 8, 2004, Metro Section, p. 1. B1. Frustrated by a state-imposed $50 limit on what they can Teen driving deaths such as those that plagued the Wash- charge to teach teenagers how to drive, more Illinois schools ington area last fall could be prevented by state laws that are seeking permission to raise the fees. prohibit young drivers from carrying passengers and require them to spend more hours practicing on the road with an Martin, Hugo, “Gore or Emotion — What Moves Teen adult, says an auto safety advocacy group. Drivers?” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 2003, Part 2, p. 2. Some traffic-safety experts wonder whether the old stan- Durbin, Dee-Ann, “Studies on Graduated Licenses Detail dard of having students watch films showing bloody bod- Drop in Teen Crashes,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 27, 2003, ies for shock effect is less influential than showing heart- Cars Section, p. 1. wrenching stories from people who lost a loved one. Requiring teens to get learner’s permits or go through other interim stages before gaining their driver’s licenses reduces Rosenberg, Merri, “The Must-Have Class: Driver’s Educa- car accidents among young drivers. tion,” The New York Times, July 20, 2003, Sect. 14, p. 2. Teens in New York state are motivated to take driver’s education Schrader, Ann, “Trying To Keep Young Drivers Alive,” so they can get an unrestricted license a year earlier — at 17. The Denver Post, March 3, 2004, p. B1. A decrease in youth-driving deaths in 2003 followed a two- Fatal Accidents year rise that had shocked those who believed restrictions imposed under Colorado’s 1999 GDL law were working. Amon, Michael, and Theola Labbe, “Teen Deaths in Car Crashes Raising Alarms in S. Md.,” The Washington Post, Simpson, Kevin, “Devastation Road,” The Denver Post, April 10, 2003, p. B8. Aug. 31, 2003, p. A1. Traffic accidents have been killing young people at an The lethal combination of inexperience and immaturity has alarming rate in Southern Maryland — over a period of 14 pushed the Colorado State Patrol to seek even stiffer regu- months, 11 people ages 14 to 19 were killed. lations in the state’s graduated driver’s license law.
22 The CQ Researcher Preventive Measures Snyder, David, and Christian Davenport, “Officials Pledge to Combat Teen Traffic Deaths in Md.,” The Wash- Ganey, Samantha, “For Teen Drivers, Mom’s Monitoring,” ington Post, Sept. 28, 2004, p. B1. The Washington Post, June 1, 2004, p. C10. Washington-area officials say they will push for new laws Some parents concerned about the high rate of teen acci- aimed at keeping teenage drivers safe and will step up en- dents are placing bumper stickers on their teenagers’ cars in- forcement efforts against reckless driving. cluding a phone number (1-866-GO-GET-MOM) that invites fellow motorists to tattle on reckless young drivers. Welsh, Patrick, “Sweet 16: Not For Driving,” USA Today, Nov. 29, 2004, p. 15A. Gordon, Jane, “Driving Laws Get Tougher For Teenagers, The surest way to reduce the number of teen traffic deaths But Is It Enough?” The New York Times, June 22, 2003, would be to raise the driving age. Sect. 14, p. 1. A Connecticut law trying to reduce teen car accidents states Wright, Jeanne, “ ‘Black Boxes Can Monitor Teen Drivers,” that for the first six months after receiving a license, teenage Los Angeles Times, Jan. 29, 2003, Part 7, p. 1. drivers may not transport friends. Parents can monitor their teens’ driving by installing electronic vehicle-monitoring devices that record speeds, distances traveled, Kiehl, Stephen, “State Bill Would Ban Teens From Driving seat belt use and more. Peers,” The Baltimore Sun, Jan. 31, 2004, p. 1A. Scores of Maryland lawmakers, safety groups and parents Teen Drinking and Driving pledged their support for a bill that would prohibit new dri- vers from transporting other teens for the first six months. Chapman, Steve, “There’s Some Safety in the Number 21,” Chicago Tribune, Dec. 8, 2002, Commentary Section, p. 11. Mateja, Jim, “Efforts To Put Teens Safely in Driver’s Seat,” Since the drinking age was set at 21 in 1984, the rate of Chicago Tribune, March 20, 2003, Cars Section, p. 1. crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers who had been Legislation in the Illinois Senate would prohibit new dri- drinking decreased by 60 percent. vers younger than 18 from carrying more than one teen pas- senger for six months after receiving a driver’s license. Johnson, Darragh, and David Snyder, “Seeking Ways to Prevent Teen Deaths,” The Washington Post, Nov. 17, Nagourney, Eric, “What Parents Can Do, Besides Fret, 2004, p. B1. To Keep Children Safe,” The New York Times, Oct. 22, Parents and high school students in Montgomery County, 2003, p. G10. Md., in suburban Washington, D.C., discuss their teenage Studies show parents can help reduce teenage car acci- drunken-driving epidemic during a year in which 11 local dents by practicing driving with their children in all sorts of teenagers have died in alcohol-related accidents. driving situations. Sciaudone, Christiana, “For Students, a Sobering Lesson on Rau, Jordan, “Teen Drivers Could Face Ban on Use of Cell Drunk Driving,” Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2004, p. B2. Phones,” Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2004, p. B1. High school seniors in California participate in an anti- California lawmakers are considering forbidding phone use drinking-and-driving program that begins with the real crim- by teen drivers. inal trial of a drunken driver.
CITING THE CQ RESEARCHER Sample formats for citing these reports in a bibliography include the ones listed below. Preferred styles and formats vary, so please check with your instructor or professor.
MLA STYLE Jost, Kenneth. “Rethinking the Death Penalty.” The CQ Researcher 16 Nov. 2001: 945-68.
APA STYLE Jost, K. (2001, November 16). Rethinking the death penalty. The CQ Researcher, 11, 945-968.
CHICAGO STYLE Jost, Kenneth. “Rethinking the Death Penalty.” CQ Researcher, November 16, 2001, 945-968.
Available online: www.thecqresearcher.com Jan. 7, 2005 23 In-depth Reports on Issues in the News
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