| |
Young driver crashes, injuries and fatalities are on the decline; however, young driver issues remain a concern in many communities across the state. The focus on traffic safety programs goes well beyond traditional driver education to involve young people and their parents, law enforcement and schools in addressing this persistent traffic safety issue.
Young drivers are often at risk for being involved in crashes because:
- Operating a complex motor vehicle is a brand-new experience for teens.
- Their search, scan and reaction abilities are much less developed than those of seasoned drivers.
- Young drivers see hazards as less dangerous than they really are.
- Teens like to drive with other teens, which can be distracting and lead to thrill seeking.
Maryland Fast Facts
- In the past five years, there have been 551 young driver related fatal crashes in Maryland.
- In 2006, there were 102 fatal crashes involving young drivers in Maryland.
- In 2006, there were almost 20,000 crashes involving young drivers in Maryland.
National Statistics
- Fatal crash rates are higher at all times of the day for 16-year-olds than for older drivers, but in any given mile driven, teens are twice as likely to crash at night (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) than during the day. Forty-two percent of young teens’ nighttime crashes occur before midnight. (IIHS, Fatality Facts 2005: Teenagers)
- The percentage of fatal crashes involving 16 year-olds carrying three or more passengers was reduced by half between 1996 and 2005. Researchers attribute this success to graduated drivers licensing laws (GDL). (Ferguson et al., Progress in teenage crash risk during the last decade. Journal of Safety Research 2007)
- Based on estimated miles traveled annually, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 have a fatality rate four times the rate of drivers ages 25 to 69. Sixteen-year-old drivers have a crash rate three times more than 17-year-olds, 5 times greater than 18-year-olds, and two times that of 85-year-olds. (NHTSA, 2001)
- Evaluations of GDL programs comparing rates before and after GDL implementation in individual states have reported reductions in crash rates of novice drivers ranging from 11 to 32 percent. (Chen/Baker/Li, Graduated driver licensing programs and fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers: A national evaluation, Pediatrics, July 2006.)
Maryland Laws
All applicants for a new Maryland driver’s license must go through a three-step process:
- Learner's permit
- Provisional license
- Full license
Applicants for learner’s permits must be at least 15 years and 9 months old and must pass a vision test and basic driver knowledge test.
During the learner’s permit period, drivers must complete at least 60 hours of driving practice with someone at least age 21 who has held a driver’s license for at least three years. Ten of those practice hours must occur while dark outside.
Once the learner's permit is converted into a provisional license, the driver must then hold that license for a minimum of 18 months. If he or she is cited for a moving violation, the 18-month period is restarted. Drivers under age 18 with a provisional license are only authorized to drive without adult supervision from 5 a.m. to midnight. People under age 18 are prohibited from using a wireless communication device (i.e. cell phone) while operating a motor vehicle, except to contact 911. Violations may result in a suspension of driving privileges.
The earliest a person can obtain a full license is age 17 and nine months. For the first 5 months after the provisional license is issued, the new drivers under age 18 are not allowed to transport minors with the exception of family members, unless accompanied by an adult.
For more information about the licensing process, please consult the Maryland Vehicle Administration’s website at mvamaryland.com.
Tips For Parents
Maryland’s graduated licensing law only works with proactive enforcement by parents. Some things to consider:
Don’t rely solely on driver education. Basic driver education may be the most convenient way to learn skills, but it doesn’t produce safer drivers. Poor skills aren’t always to blame. Teens’ attitudes and decision-making matter more. Teenagers don’t use safety belts as much, and they seek thrills like speeding. Training and education don’t change these tendencies. Peers are influential, but parents have much more influence than typically is credited to them. Set a good example.
Know the law. Become familiar with restrictions on young drivers. Enforce the rules.
Require seat belt use. Although your teen may buckle up when you’re in the car, don’t assume seat belts will be used all of the time, especially when your child is out with peers. Remember that belt use is lower among teenagers than older people. Insist on belts all the time.
Restrict night driving. Most young drivers’ nighttime fatal crashes occur from 9 p.m. to midnight, so teens
shouldn’t drive much later than 9 p.m. The problem isn’t just that such driving requires more skill. Late outings tend to be recreational, and even teens who usually follow the rules can be easily distracted or encouraged to take risks.
Restrict passengers. Teen passengers in a vehicle can distract a beginning driver and/or lead to greater risk taking. Because young drivers often transport their friends, there’s a teen passenger problem as well as a teen driver problem. About six of every 10 teenage passenger deaths occur in crashes with teen drivers. While night driving with passengers is particularly lethal, many fatal crashes with teen passengers occur during the day. The best policy is to restrict teen passengers, especially multiple teens, all the time.
Supervise practice driving. Take an active role in helping your teenager learn how to drive. Plan a series of
practice sessions in a wide variety of situations, including night driving. Give beginners time to work up to challenges like driving in heavy traffic or on major highways. Supervised practice should be spread over at least six
months and continue even after a teenager graduates from a learner’s permit to a restricted or full license.
Remember that you’re a role model. New drivers learn a lot by example, so practice safe driving. Teens with crashes and violations often have parents with poor driving records.
Prohibit driving after drinking. Make it clear that it’s illegal and highly dangerous for a teenager to drive after
drinking alcohol or using any other drug. While alcohol isn’t a factor in most fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers,
even small amounts of alcohol will impair teens.
Choose vehicles for safety, not image. Teenagers should drive vehicles that reduce their chances of a crash and offer protection in case they do crash. For example, small cars don’t offer the best protection in a crash. Avoid cars with performance images that might encourage speeding. Avoid trucks and sport utility vehicles — smaller ones, especially, are more prone to roll over.
Tips For Teens
- Always wear your seat belt, and make sure all your passengers buckle up, too.
- Make sure your windshield is clean. At sunrise and sunset, light reflecting off a dirty windshield can momentarily blind you.
- Never try to pack in more passengers than there are seatbelts in the car.
- Make sure your car has gas. Don't ride around with the gauge on empty because you don't want to become stranded.
- Obey all speed limits for both maximum and minimum speeds.
- Don't run red lights or stop signs.
- Come to a complete stop at lights or stop signs.
- Use your turn signal to indicate that you want to turn or change lanes. Turn it on to give the cars behind you enough time to react before you make your move. Also, make sure the signal is off once you're done.
- When a light turns green, make sure the intersection has cleared before you go.
- Obey curfews and leave yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.
- Don't blast the radio. You might miss a siren or a horn that could warn you of possible trouble.
- Don't drink and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has been drinking. Call your parents or friends to pick you up if you need a ride.
- Don't take drugs and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has been using drugs. Even some over-the-counter drugs can make you drowsy, so check the label for warnings.
- Don't drive with small children or even small teenage friends in the front seat of a car that has a passenger-side air bag. They should be buckled up in the back seat instead. Children and small people can be hurt if the air bags deploy, even in collisions at slow speeds. (It's actually safer not to drive with friends and kids in the car when you're learning to drive because they can distract you.)
- Don't talk on your cell phone, put on makeup, comb your hair, or eat while driving. If you need to make a call, pull off the road to a safe spot and park.
- Always pull over (to the right side of the road) if a police officer stops you.
- Don't allow friends or other uninsured drivers to drive your car.
- If you feel tired or sleepy, pull off the road and call your parents or another adult to help you.
- Don't drive like you own the road - drive like you own the car.
Resources
|
|
