'Driving contracts' trim risks for teens

Jane E. Brody

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Parents of teenagers worry about lots of things: drugs, sex, poor choices of friends. But the activity that causes the most harm to older teenagers is none of the above.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 16- to 20-year-olds, with 5,500 teenage drivers or passengers dying each year. In addition, 450,000 teenagers are injured, 27,000 of them requiring hospitalization, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported in the December issue of its journal, Pediatrics.

Of those killed, 63 percent are drivers and 37 percent are passengers. Boys account for two-thirds of the fatalities. Although teenagers represent only 6 percent of drivers, they are involved in 14 percent of fatal crashes. And the crash rate among 16-year-olds, the youngest drivers, is 35 per million miles, nearly nine times the rate of the general population.

To reduce the risks, the academy recommends that parents have teenagers sign "driving contracts" that cover when the teenager can use the car and who can be in it. It should have a provision, the academy says, that driving privileges will be revoked if the contract is violated.

Although factors such as alcohol, drugs and distractions like the stereo naturally come to mind, the single biggest reason for fatal and nonfatal crashes involving teenage drivers is inexperience. In one study, the highest crash rate occurred during the first month after teenagers got their licenses. That rate, 120 crashes per 10,000 drivers, dropped to 70 crashes within five months.

Traditional driver education programs, which offer 30 hours of classroom instruction but only six hours of on-the-road training, "are not effective in creating safe drivers and decreasing crash risk," according to the academy's review of research.

Of course, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, including prescribed and over-the- counter medications, are prominent factors in crashes involving teenagers. Though teenagers drink and drive less often than adults, they are more likely to crash when they do drink.

Studies have shown that marijuana impairs driving performance, especially combined with alcohol. Legal drugs like antihistamines and sedatives also interfere with driving skills.

Distractions inside the vehicle contribute to accidents for both teenage and adult drivers. But distractions are a more serious problem for novice drivers because they tend to look away from the road for longer periods.

Nearly all states have so-called graduated licensing laws, some of which significantly increase the number of supervised hours of driving by teenagers while they are learning.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that in the 23 states, fatal crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 17 declined by 19 percent since those laws started taking effect in the mid-1990s.

Teenagers should also promise to call a parent for a ride if they are impaired in any way that can impede safe driving. The academy recommends strict restrictions for the first six months.

Behind the wheel in Colorado

Teen drivers represent just under 6 percent of Colorado's licensed drivers, but account for more than 11 percent of all traffic deaths in the state. Under Colorado's Graduated Driver's Licensing Law:

• Teens must hold an instruction permit for one year and log 50 hours of driving time, including 10 hours at night, with parents or driving instructors.

• No passengers under 21 until the driver holds a valid driver's license for at least six months (siblings and passengers with medical emergencies excepted).

• No more than one passenger under age 21 until the driver holds a valid driver's license for at least one year (siblings and passengers with medical emergencies excepted).

• No more than one passenger can ride in the front seat of a vehicle and the number of passengers in the back seat must not exceed the number of seat belts.

• Cell phone use is prohibited for teen drivers with permits.

• Gov. Bill Ritter and first lady Jeannie Ritter announced a new teen driving campaign called "The Driver's Seat," which targets parents and new teen drivers with information about Colorado's GDL law and statistics about teen driving.Source: Colorado Department Of Transportation