Category Archives: Teens

Highway Safety, Research, Teens

Teen Driving Deaths On The Rise Again

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reveals that the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths in passenger vehicles increased dramatically for the first six months of 2012, based on preliminary data supplied by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Overall, 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths increased from 202 to 240 – a 19 percent jump.

The new report – the first state-by-state look at teen driver fatalities in 2012 – was completed by Dr. Allan Williams, a researcher who formerly served as chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Dr. Williams surveyed GHSA members, who reported fatality numbers for every state and D.C. The increase in teen driver deaths coincides with a projection from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in which all traffic deaths increased by 8 percent. It is particularly concerning that 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths appear to have increased at an even greater rate.

Deaths of 16-year-old drivers increased from 86 to 107 (a 24 percent change), while the number for 17-year-old drivers went from 116 to 133 (a 15 percent change), a cumulative increase of 19 percent. Twenty-five states reported increases, 17 had decreases, and eight states and the District of Columbia reported no change in the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths.

Dr. Williams attributes much of the increase to the fact that the benefit of state Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws may be leveling off, as most of these laws have been in place for some time. Additionally, Dr. Williams speculates that improving economic conditions are contributing to an increase in teen driving, thus increasing their exposure to risk. Dr. Williams notes, “Based on 2011 final data and the early look at 2012, it appears that we are headed the wrong direction when it comes to deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers.”

Dr. Williams stresses that while today’s news is certainly not good, deaths in this age group remain at a historically low level. He notes, “We are still at a much better place than we were ten or even five years earlier. However, the goal is to strive toward zero deaths, so our aim would be that these deaths should go down every year.”

Kendell Poole, Chairman of GHSA and Director of Tennessee’s Governor’s Highway Safety Office, said, “Any increase in highway deaths is unacceptable, particularly among our teens. We know from research and experience that teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but also a danger to others on the roadways. So these numbers are a cause for concern.” He continued, “As the report notes, a widespread strengthening of laws is still possible, and utilizing effective tools outside of GDL should be a focus. These include improving driver education and ensuring that scientifically based educational programs are available to new drivers.”

Chairman Poole added, “In my state of Tennessee, we have worked extensively to keep teen drivers safe. Despite our efforts, teens remain our most vulnerable population. With the advances in technology, we suspect distracted driving deaths among teen drivers are rising. We continue to work with teens, parents, educators and law enforcement to address this problem.”

Barbara Harsha, Executive Director of GHSA, stressed that while data are preliminary, she is concerned that signs point to a significant increase in 16- and-17-year-old driver deaths for 2012. She advises states to focus on strengthening GDL and programs that are data-driven. Harsha adds that states should consider implementing parent programs to help parents keep their teens safe. She says, “Parents have a huge responsibility to ensure safe teen driving behavior. States can facilitate this by providing innovative programs that bring parents and teens together around this issue.”

The full report, including state-by-state data, is available online at www.ghsa.org. Image files are also available.

Safe Driving Tips, Teens

Bucks County Teen Killed In Crash

One teen was killed and another critically injured in a crash on Old Jacksonville Road in Northhampton Township on Saturday, December 8.  The crash happened at about 2:00PM on a Saturday afternoon.

18-year-old LJ Tanner, a senior at Council Rock South High School, was driving a late-model Chevrolet Monte Carlo along Jacksonville Road near Sacketts Ford Road.  According to news coverage by ABC, “the silver Monte Carlo hit a bump and flipped several times before crashing into a utility pole”.

There were five teenagers in the car when it crashed.  The front seat passenger, 19-year-old Cameron Smithwick, was pronounced dead on the scene.  According to the report, “Cameron, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, was thrown into the backseat”.  Tanner is in critical condition with spine and head injuries, while the three passengers in the back seat, all Council Rock seniors, were listed in stable condition.

This is a terrible tragedy that should never happen, the result of a few mistakes that can never be taken back.  The Monte Carlo is best known for its success on the racing circuit and carries either a V6 or V8 engine, depending on the trim package.  Old Jacksonville Road along this section is relatively straight.  Tanner didn’t lose control going around a turn, he lost control on a straightaway.

It wasn’t raining on Saturday afternoon, but the roads were wet.  I was out working with a student on Bucks County roads the same time that this crash happened.  The maximum speed along this road for the prevailing conditions would have been between 35 and 40MPH.  While police are still investigating the causes of the crash, a 3,500 pound car carrying 5 passengers (another 750-1000 pounds) doesn’t flip over several times after hitting a bump in the road at 35-40MPH.  This is more likely to happen at speeds over 60MPH, which is way too fast for that road and the weather conditions.  My suspicion is that Tanner was driving way too fast for both conditions and his experience level and was unable to maintain or recover control when his car hit the bump in the road.

It’s a mistake that happens all too frequently.  Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for teens.  They often lack the experience, education, judgment and skills to minimize risk effectively.

Cameron is the only one mentioned by the news reports as not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.  He was also the only one killed.  There really is a correlation here – seat belts can save lives.  If Cameron had been belted, he might be in the hospital with his friends.

I hate to see crashes like this.  I hate to see kids die because of a senseless mistake.  I hate to think that there are kids who don’t realize how dangerous such mistakes can really be.  We can’t go back in time and prevent this crash from happening, but by talking about it with our students and our children, maybe we can help prevent the next one.  Parents, talk with your teen drivers about this crash.  If you haven’t been in the car with them for a while, do a “ride-along” and see how they’re doing today.  Driver education doesn’t end when a student gets their license – in a sense, that’s when it really begins.

Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips, Teens

Teen Gets Prison For Texting While Driving

18-year-old Aaron Deveau will be spending the next 2-4 years in prison, rather than college.  He recently became the first American convicted of vehicular homicide by texting under a new Massachusetts law.

On February 20, 2011, Deveau’s car swerved across the center line and crashed head on into a truck, killing 55-year-old father of three Donald Bowley.  The crash happened at 2:36PM.  Prosecutors in the case reported that Deveau sent a text message while driving at 2:35PM, and received a reply seconds before losing control of his car.

Texting while driving is now illegal in Pennsylvania, as well as 37 other states and Washington, DC.  It’s one of the most dangerous distractions facing drivers today, and also one of the most prevalent.

Having trouble putting the phone down while driving?  There’s an app for that.

Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips, Teens

Female Drunk Drivers On The Rise

According to a new study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, the number of female drivers arrested for drunk driving has more than doubled in the last twenty years.

In 1980, females accounted for just 9 percent of alcohol-related arrests.  By 2004, that number increased to 20 percent.

The report recommends ways to make it easier for females to participate in treatment programs, including providing child care and single-gender programs.

From the report: “Since the increase in female drunk driving behavior first garnered
attention in the late 1980s6, there have been three main hypotheses regarding factors associated with this phenomenon. These explanations center on changes in female roles in society, changes in social norms, and changes in social control mechanisms.”  You can read the full report here.

What do you think?  Why is drunk driving among females on the rise?

Highway Safety, PennDOT News, Teens

It’s Official: Texting Is Illegal

We’ve all seen that person in traffic texting away while driving, eyes down to their lap, working the wheel with their forearms or knees, blissfully unaware of their surroundings and the danger they themselves have become to everyone around them.

Effective March 8, 2012, it is illegal to send, read or write a text message while driving in PA.  Here are the details:

  • PRIMARY OFFENSE: Police can pull you over if they suspect you of texting while driving.
  • ALL IWCDs: The law includes smart phones, cell phones, tablets…anything wireless that can send/receive text messages.
  • INCLUDES EMAIL: So don’t read those while moving either.
  • APPLIES TO ALL DRIVERS: not just commercial operators.

It’s a $50 fine each time you get caught texting, which is a lesser penalty than living with the guilt if your distraction kills someone.  If you know someone who texts regularly while driving, pass this on to them.

Teens

PA’s New Teen Driver Law

Governor Tom Corbett signed the new Teen Driver Law, known as “Lacey’s Law”, on October 25, 2011.  The law took effect December 24, 2011.

What does this new law mean to teen drivers?  There are several provisions you need to understand:

1. PASSENGER LIMIT

Under the new bill, teens under the age of 18 are not allowed to have more than one non-family passenger under 18 with them in the car, unless accompanied by a parent.  This means you can no longer give four or five friends a ride to school – pick your favorite and that’s it.  You can have more than one passenger over the age of 18, and family members don’t count for this law – so if you would normally give rides to your younger sister and brother, that’s still okay.  But only one friend under 18 in the car with you at any time.

Once you’ve had your license for six months, the non-family passenger limit increases to a maximum of three, so long as you maintain a clean, safe driving record or unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

2. MORE TRAINING HOURS

Before this law, you needed to get 50 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel training before you could take the driver’s test.  That minimum is now up to 65, and the extra hours have their own requirements.  Under the new law, 10 hours must be done at night, and five must be done in inclement weather (rain, ice, fog and snow).

3. SEAT BELT LAW CHANGE

The new law makes it a primary offense not to use your seat belt under 18 – this means the police can pull you over if they see you driving un-belted.  And it applies to all of your passengers under 18, too – if your friend isn’t wearing his seat belt, the cops can ticket you.

Teens

New CHOP Study Pinpoints Causes of Teen Crashes

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm Insurance Companies recently published new research that pinpoints the most common errors teen drivers make that lead to a serious crash, and they aren’t the errors you think.

Researchers analyzed a nationally-representative federal database of more than 800 crashes involving teen drivers and identified a few common “critical errors” that are often one of the last in a chain of events leading up to a crash.  Seventy-five percent of these crashes were due to a critical teen driver error.  The two biggest reasons:

  • 42% of teen crashes were caused by poorly-developed safety threat awareness or risk assessment skills
  • 20% of teen crashes were caused by distractions

The researchers noted that environmental conditions, such as poor weather, vehicle malfunction, aggressive driving, or physical impairments such as drowsy driving were not primary factors in most crashes.

This study helps dispel the myth that most teen crashes are due to aggressive driving or thrill-seeking,” said Allison Curry, PhD, lead author and a researcher at CHOP’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP). “Promoting safe driving skills is as important as preventing problem behaviors.”

Click here to read the full press release from CHOP and State Farm.

Simulator Training, Teens

Can Simulators Help Autistic Teens Learn To Drive?

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, researchers at the University of Virginia are now studying the use of virtual reality driving simulators to train and evaluate the skills of teens with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism, both of which are considered autism spectrum disorders.

Driving a car is an important step toward independence for adolescents and young adults. With no legal restrictions on driving with autism spectrum disorder, this study aims to assess and develop driving skills in teens with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism, or HFA, and work around the symptoms that interfere with learning to drive.

“The symptoms of Asperger’s and HFA make learning to drive particularly challenging for individuals with this disorder,” said Ron Reeve, a professor in U.Va.’s Curry School of Education and a licensed clinical and school psychologist, who is the study’s co-investigator. “For example, they may hyper-focus on one aspect of driving and struggle with the multi-tasking required to simultaneously keep the car in the correct lane, maintain an appropriate distance from the car ahead, attend to a changing stoplight or other signal.”

Adolescents with Asperger’s and HFA have a high need for structure and predictability, which may present difficulty when unexpected disruptions break the routine – an almost daily occurrence when one is behind the wheel.

“Their difficulties with motor planning and coordination may interfere with the complexity of simultaneously steering, accelerating, judging time and distance and hazard detection,” Reeve noted.

The benefits of using the virtual reality driving simulator are multifold. The simulator offers safe exposure to challenging defensive driving demands. It also can play back and rehearse challenging maneuvers without the potential human element of getting frightened or frustrated with the driving performance of HFA trainees.

Daniel Cox, professor of behavioral medicine in the School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the study, has utilized the simulator to effectively teach teens with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to drive more safely.

The latest study, to begin this summer, will involve 20 HFA teenagers, each with a learner’s permit. Half the teens will receive virtual reality driving simulator training (10 sessions of progressively demanding maneuvers), going from learning how to maintain lane position to adding speed control, then braking, use of mirrors, turn signals, etc. Once the participants have reviewed these maneuvers, they will be applied in progressively more demanding virtual traffic and road conditions.

The other half of the study group will receive whatever training they would normally receive. For example, these teens will potentially receive on-the-road training with parents, driver’s education instructors or even professional driver’s training. Both study groups will be evaluated afterward by qualified, independent driving evaluators who will not know who did and did not receive the virtual reality training.

The study expects to report its findings by the summer of 2012.

“We hope that by controlling the complexities of driving for these teens on the simulator, and by replaying mistakes to provide a safe environment for practice, we can build skills in teen drivers with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism,” Cox said. However, he noted, “Not all individuals with autism spectrum disorders will be able to develop the skills to safely drive a car, and we hope the simulator will also help us determine who is and who is not a good candidate to become an independent driver.”

Source: University of Virginia website