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Regulation Policy

Combating Wrecks And Reckless Teen Driving

The combination of inexperience, ignorance and high spirits can be fatal for teen-age drivers, law-enforcement officers can attest. And insurance industry experts have the figures to prove that some young drivers can be menaces on the roads. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 16-year-old drivers get in wrecks nearly nine times more often than those age 20 or over. For 17-year-olds, the rate is six times higher than the adult rate. Statistics show that accident rates fall dramatically by age 18. While teens account for only 7 percent of all drivers, they are involved in 14 percent of all fatal auto accidents and 20 percent of all accidents, according to the American Automobile Association. Forty-three percent of these deaths occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Two-thirds of teen-age passengers killed in auto accidents were riding in a car driven by another teen- ager. Eight states have put substantial restrictions on the motoring privileges of teen-agers. The graduated licensing system often requires that a parent or adult accompany a new driver. Once they have completed 25 or 50 hours of driving, they are allowed to venture forth alone. But they have to be off the road by a specified hour -- which can range from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Some states limit the number of youngsters who can ride with a teen-age driver. Others will suspend licenses after two moving violations. The Canadian province of Ontario adopted such a program several years ago. The number of 16-year-olds involved in accidents fell by two-thirds. Source: Stephen Chapman, "Key Control for Teen Drivers," Washington Times, February 25, 1998.

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