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New Hampshire Auto Accident Lawyers - Vermont Car Accident Attorneys | Reader's Digest Report on Teen Driver's

We see it every day in the news. A teen driver is critically injured or killed in a car accident. Every time this happens it is a tragic event. Sometimes the teenage driver did nothing wrong; however, many times the tragedy could have been prevented. In the United States, nearly 5,000 teenagers loose their lives in automobile accidents each year. That’s more than the number of U.S. troops that have been killed in Iraq since the start of the war. A new report by Reader’s Digest analyzes some reasons why so many teenagers are killed in car accidents and what can be done to prevent these tragedies.

According to the report, one of the biggest reasons for teenage car accidents is the combination of immaturity and inexperience. The report cites a study that showed this is partly associated to the fact that the part of the brain that controls impulses isn’t fully developed until after adolescence. This prevents teenage drivers from understanding the risks associated with certain behaviors like speeding, drinking and driving, talking on their cell phones while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt. The report suggests that parents should take the initiative to teach their kids about the dangers associated with risky driving behaviors. They note that since driver education courses are virtually non-existent in our schools, if parents don’t educate their children about driving they are putting their kids at risk.

Another leading cause of teenage car accidents is that teenagers are just plain inexperienced when it comes to driving. Driver’s tests are not that rigorous or comprehensive. Just because a teenager passes their driver’s test doesn’t mean they are an experienced and educated driver. To correct this, the Reader’s Digest report advocates fighting for stricter state laws with respect to teenager driver’s licenses. One proposed idea is the graduated license. This type of law would set restrictions on a teenage driver’s freedom. They wouldn’t be allowed to drive after 10 P.M., talking on a cell phone would be prohibited, and it would limit the number of passengers allowed in a car driven by a teenager. At age 18, a driver would graduate to a full privileged license. According to the report, Georgia has instituted such a law and it is estimated that it has cut fatal car accidents involving 16 year olds by 37%. These laws have met some resistance, especially from parents who enjoy having the freedom of a teenage driver. Reader’s Digest cites one Vermont State Representative who is in favor of some teenage license restrictions, but is afraid of the “infringement on parental rights.”

The Reader’s Digest report also ranks each state with respect to their laws for teenage drivers. The rankings were based on each state’s graduated license laws, DUI laws, and seatbelt laws. The rankings placed the states into one of four categories: Best, Good, Fair and Worst. Maine was the only New England State to rank as one of the Best states for teenage driver laws. Vermont was placed in the Fair state category. New Hampshire was ranked in the Worst category, primarily because of its lack of seatbelt laws.

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