Sarasota Herald-Tribute - Bipartisan Bill Will Protect Teenage Drivers -- And All Of Us
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Sarasota Herald-Tribute - Bipartisan Bill Will Protect Teenage Drivers -- And All Of Us
Although health care reform has captured the headlines and the national debate, there is another law being proposed that could save thousands of lives and perhaps prevent millions of injuries. H.R.1895, known as the Standup Act (Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act) would create a national graduated driver-licensing law that would mandate the attainment of gradual, supervised road experience for all 16- to 18-year-old drivers. It is a rare bipartisan bill introduced in April 2009 by Reps. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., and Michael Castle, R-Del.
What is the Standup Act? This act would require three stages of driver licensing: learner's permit, intermediate stage, and full licensure. Age 16 would be the earliest age for entry into the learner's permit process. During the learner's permit and intermediate stage, unsupervised nighttime driving would be restricted. Until full licensure at age 18, driving while using cell phones or other communication devices would be prohibited, except for emergency use. Unless a new driver is under adult supervision, passengers would be restricted to no more than one non-familial passenger under age 21.
Why is the passage of this law important? New drivers have elevated crash rates, which is particularly true for drivers younger than 18. Teenagers are at significant risk on the road because they lack both the judgment that comes with maturity and the skill that comes with experience. Anatomically, teenagers have an underdeveloped dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that involves decision-making and the ability to understand consequences.
This is no surprise, since most people agree that at times, teenagers' judgment is questionable, at best. If experience and science are not enough, empirical data reveal that in the states that have implemented the GDL programs, fatal crashes among 16-year old drivers have fallen by almost 40 percent.
Teenagers simply do not receive sufficient training to take on the responsibility of driving an automobile, especially with the distractions of passengers, cell phones and the habitual texting common among that age group. According to the National Driver Training Institute, we spend 12 years on basic education, reading, writing, math, history and physical education, but only six hours behind the wheel training in a vehicle. Driver education in public schools virtually disappeared a generation ago, and only a fraction of schools offer it as part of their standard curriculum.
How would the law work? The legislation would establish minimum federal requirements for the state GDL laws and encourage all states to adopt these laws within three years. Following the enactment of the Standup Act, states would receive grants to help them with education and enforcement. Failure to comply would enable the secretary of transportation to withhold a percentage of federal highway construction funds until the states are in compliance.
The proposed law has the support of the insurance industry. In fact, Allstate has launched a print media campaign in support of the legislation. The law will certainly have opposition, especially from teenagers. Luckily, they have very little political influence insofar as they cannot vote and they generally do not contribute to political campaigns.
Some parents may not wish to prolong their car pool duties. Some professions and companies earn a living because of the carnage and damages caused by teenage drivers, including, but certainly not limited to, medical providers, funeral homes and injury attorneys. I am certain that any responsible parent and reputable professional or business person knows that safety should always take priority over convenience and profit.
As an injury attorney, I have witnessed the devastation caused by teenage driving. There is no question that if not used properly, the automobile is a dangerous and deadly weapon. It is up to the people with a fully developed brain to protect those without one. By doing so, we will protect not only the teenage drivers, but those who share the roads with them. Let our representatives know that we expect them to stand up for safety.
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