July 24, 2009
Letter to the Editor
New Teen Driving Bill Helps Saves Lives
In regards to the article in Newsday on July 17, "Bill Targets Teen Motorists,": As director of the Community Parent Center, I applaud the efforts of the New York State Senate and Assembly for passing the bill that boosts the license requirements for teenage drivers and prohibits text messaging while driving statewide and urge Governor Paterson to sign the bill into law as soon as possible.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury and death among teenagers. The risk for motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group, with inexperience and distractions noted as the main causes. Every year, over 5,000 teens die in car crashes. That equates to 14 teens dying every day. Additionally, another 300,000 are injured annually. Although these statistics have improved slightly from last year, they are still unacceptable. Far too many teens are still dying, and the reality is that many of these crashes are preventable.
The current Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system was designed to delay receiving full driving license privileges by allowing beginners to obtain their initial experience under lower-risk conditions. The law consists of three stages: a minimum supervised learner's permit, an intermediate license (once the driving test is passed) that limits unsupervised driving in high-risk situations and a full-privilege driver's license available after completion of the first two stages. At the present time, forty-nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia have the three-stage GDL, but the requirements of the law vary from state to state.
Under the new NYS Graduated Driver Licensing system, new teenage drivers will be required to have 50 hours of supervised driving practice, 15 of those hours must occur at night, before being able to take their road test. The new law will eliminate the "limited-use junior license" and now will require the teen to hold their learner's permit for six months before a regular junior license can be issued. The new law restricts the number of unrelated passengers under the age of 21 permitted in a vehicle driven by a junior license holder to one. In addition, the new law prohibits all drivers from operating a motor vehicle while using any portable electronic devices such as cell phones, BlackBerries, pagers and other messaging systems.
This legislation reinforces the goals of the Driving in the Safe Lane program, which is presented by the Community Parent Center (a non-profit organization). The program is designed to reduce teen crashes and save lives through parent/teen awareness and education. It targets parents as key players in influencing their teens to drive safely and responsibly by:
• Addressing safety measures and recommending parental guidelines that
reinforce these measures
• Reviewing state driving laws and parental liability
• Providing information about risky behaviors and adolescent
development
The Community Parent Center believes that this new legislation will help to reduce the number of driving-related teen injuries and fatalities across New York State. Parents will have peace of mind knowing that their teen drivers will be better educated and better prepared for the great responsibility that comes with driving a motor vehicle.
Thank you to the NYS Legislature for the work that you do - and will continue to do - to help the youth of New York State learn to drive safely, and avoid tragic teen injuries and deaths on our roads.
Wendy Tepfer
Director
Community Parent Center
