Understanding Teen Driver Car Crashes
Whenever we get behind the wheel of a car we begin the process of risk
analysis and risk assessment. We are looking about and answering these
questions with every glance, Is there anything in my way keeping me from
implementing this action? Is it safe? How can I best go about implementing
this action and what might the likely consequences be?
This is why we look behind before backing up, or look both ways before
entering the roadway. We are determining issues of risk.
Only after we have determined issues of risk (unless asleep or distracted) do
we take action. This is the course of normal human thought or cognitive
processes when operating a motor vehicle and it all occurs within seconds or
less.
Now let's understand another element of normal human behavior. More often than
not, while analyzing risk, we are also trying to determine how much can we get
away with. If the speed limit is 50 we may be thinking about going 55, or 60,
or more. This is where the risk assessment comes into play. We think about our
choices and the likely consequences of each choice. We remember never having
seen radar or a law enforcement officer or there may be few vehicles on the
road at the particular time. The road surface may be dry, wet, icy snowy,
smooth or bumpy. We quickly take note of a number of variables then choose our
course of action. We say to ourselves, I think I can get away with this much
or I am willing to take this big a chance.
When we come to a stop sign, we do the same. We may not treat a stop sign in
the middle of two rural roads the way we do in the center of town. As such we
may risk a rolling stop in one situation, but come to a full stop in another
situation. We are forever making choices based upon our risk analysis and
assessment.
All of the above is normal human behavior.
Now, let's understand the difference between adult drivers and teen drivers.
At age 46, I am 28 years older than my son. I have 30 years of independent
driving experience. I have had a collision in my driving history. I have
driven in all seasons and in all driving conditions and on all kinds of
roadways. I have witnessed collisions and their aftermath. So far, this makes
me about average and very similar to many parents of teen drivers.
When I drive, I base my risk analysis and assessment on 30 years of driving
experience. I have a wealth of personal data by which to analyze and assess
any given situation. I can draw upon numerous choices with a rich
understanding of the possible consequences of each choice having experienced
the outcome of most from which I am choosing.
This is totally unlike a new teen driver. New teen drivers do not have the
wealth of experience on which to base their risk analysis and assessment. As
such they are more limited in both their range of choices for any given
situation and their understanding of the consequences for any given choice.
Recently a carload of teenagers in Joplin MO., was careening down a highway
exceeding the speed limit. The driver and passenger thought it would be a good
idea to change seats. The vehicle crashed killing two occupants and seriously
injuring the other four occupants. All six occupants were girls.
No one knows what prompted the driver and passenger to change seats. Perhaps
the driver wanted to fix her make-up. Her risk analysis said it would be safer
as a passenger and her assessment was that it was safe enough to change seats
even while underway. Poor judgment.
In another situation, a vehicle is found overturned at the side of a road at
the top of a curve. It is a single vehicle crash. The driver is dead and the 3
other occupants lay unconscious. The collision reconstruction team determines
the vehicle's speed exceeded the tolerance of the
curve and hence there was likely a loss of traction causing the vehicle to
slide off the road. The driver's risk assessment
told him he could manage the curve at an excessive speed. He was wrong. Dead
wrong.
We speak of lack of judgment when it comes to teen drivers. Lack of judgment
means that teens do not have the same depth of experience on which to base
their assessment and as such they may make a less than adequate decision given
the absence of experience from which to draw. When teens decide to take a
risk, it is often greater than an adult would choose. Teens fear less because
of less experience. Teens have not witnessed many collisions, if any. They
have not seen the many consequences of crashes. They are less likely to
believe these things can happen to them. Hence they are prone to taking
greater risks based on less good judgment and are hurt more often.
Unfortunately, this lack of experience and lesser judgment is not recognized
by the teen. They cannot see what they never had or are yet to develop. They
cannot appreciate their lack of experience and as such will argue tooth and
nail, that they are fully capable.
Imagine the three-year-old child. We tell the child not to touch the stove or
they will get burned. Having never been burned, the three-year-old has no
appreciation of the warning. At some point in time, all children recognize
"hot" only after touching
something hot; then the warning makes sense.
Teens have a marvelous capacity for language. They have just spent the past
several years in high school and elementary school before that. They are
taught to argue their points and to assert themselves. The can certainly
convince parents that they do know more than their actual experience has
taught. Parents often buy into this even though many know that no amount of
intellectual learning can replace real life experience.
Parents think that because they trust their teen or because their teen is
generally good or because the teen is convincing, that their teen will
exercise good judgment in the use of the car. However, parents are cautioned
to remember that their teen's good judgment just
does not have the wealth
of experience to back it up.
Parents would never accept from a three-year-old that they know how to handle
the stove, even if such a young child knows how to turn the knob. No matter
how good or well-meaning the teen, they simply are not fully equipped for the
responsibility and management of a motor vehicle under all circumstance.
This is well known to insurance companies and underscores the fact that young
persons insurance rates do not decline substantially until about age 25. Their
statistics drive home the point that young drivers are at greater risk of
crashing. Insurance companies do not consider young persons experienced until
about age 25 because their crash statistics show that this is when crashes
start to significantly decline.
Just as parents may let the young child help in the kitchen, parents still
remain vigilant around the stove. Similarly, parents may let the teen use the
car, but the parent must still remain vigilant. Aside from the first year of
life, the first year of driving remains the most risk filled point in a young
person's life. Teen driver car crashes are the
leading cause of permanent injury and death in teens and the first year of
driving is the most dangerous.
Parents must talk with their teens and set limits and determine
responsibilities, expectations and restrictions on the use of the car if they
want to reduce the risk of their son or daughter's
involvement in a crash. Parents would do well to turn down the volume if their
teen objects, just like they would not
listen to the objections from a three-year-old on touching the stove.
Parents do know better and it's not until the teen
is over age 25 that they will truly understand or appreciate the actions taken
by their parents. This is the normal course of human development.
Several factors contribute to teen car crashes, injuries and fatalities. They
include driving after midnight, seatbelt use, number of passengers,
intoxicants, fatigue and distractions.
Parents are well advised to restrict the number of passengers allowed in the
vehicle. Additional passengers may be allowed for each year of driving
experience. Parents must insist that their teen buckle-up and parents must do
so too. If your teen intends on being out after midnight, continue to give
them a ride as you did before they got their license. It is better to lose
some sleep than pick your teen up at the hospital or morgue. Go for a drive
with your teen and discuss the use of the radio or car stereo. Turn it on and
figure out an acceptable limit for the volume.
Lastly, don't let the tail wag the dog. Many parents have difficulty setting
limits with their teens. Somehow or other some parents are hostage to the
wining of their teen. I have even heard some teens argue that they would
rather not drive than have their parents~ restrictions or expectations and so
the parents give in!
Don't give in. Consider yourself lucky if your child won't
drive because they don't like the rules. This may
actually be a safer option if they are demonstrating this kind of emotional
immaturity. If try to blackmail you into using the car, this is a big signal
to you that they do not yet possess the maturity to handle this privilege and
responsibility. Remember, your car, your rules. Your responsibility as a
parent continues to be the safety of your child until they are truly
independent.
Our son has now been driving 18 months and so far without incident. He must
tell us where he is going and when he is returning each time he uses the car.
He is restricted to only 3 passengers at this point (zero for the first month
and building from there). He cannot use the car after midnight.
When asked, he will happily tell us he does not
like our rules. Happily for us, he tells us each time after arriving home
safely. When he's older we think he will see the
irony in that. Will yours?
Gary Direnfeld, Executive Director
I Promise Program ~ teen safe driving initiative
www.ipromiseprogram.com
This editorial is provided by the I Promise Program ~ a teen safe driving
initiative that promotes parents as role models by entering into a mutual safe
driving contract with their teen. To provide accountability, a rear window
decal is then affixed to the vehicle. The decal display a toll free number and
the question, "Am I driving safely?"
Calls are received by a call center and responses are sent by letter only back
to the family. Youth, parents, community members, police and interested
stakeholders in traffic safety have participated in developing this program.
|
