Statistics
Mississippi is one of the deadliest states with 871 traffic deaths per 100,000 people.
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Statistics |
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An epidemic?
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WHY? |
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Who’s fault is this: Is it:
Drivers education programs
Insurance companies
School boards
Automobile companies – Ford 52 $b, e.g.
Legislators who won’t pass proper regulations
Congress for not promoting IIHS, NHTSA, etc guidelines
Law enforcement – won’t give tickets
Parents who can’t say, “Gimme the keys”
The Judgment Center
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, April, 2004
The NIH brain research suggests that the problem is human biology. A crucial part of the teen's brain - the area that looks ahead and considers consequences - remains undeveloped. That means careless attitudes and rash emotions often drive teen decisions, says Jay Giedd, chief of brain imaging in the child psychiatric unit at the National Institute of Mental Health, who's leading the study.
"It all comes down to impulse control," Giedd says. "The brain is changing a lot longer than we used to think. And that part of the brain involved in decision-making and controlling impulses is among the latest to come on board."
The teen brain is a paradox. Some areas - those that control senses, reactions and physical abilities - are fully developed in teenagers. "Physically, they should be ruling the world," Giedd says. "But (adolescence) is not that great of a time emotionally."
77% of 16-year-old traffic fatalities are caused by driver error.
In Mississippi, 54% of teen accidents are single-vehicle, off-the-road crashes.
Alcohol is involved in just 9.2% of 16-year-old fatalities.
Driver education trains teens to pass a test, not to drive.
Attitudes are changing.
The Solutions
More time to mature.
More time to learn
Graduated Licensing: A Blueprint for North America
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as Modified by the Institute for Driver Safety
A Three-phase Approach:
Permit stage – one year supervised driving with parent or responsible adult; no earlier than age 16
Intermediate stage – dawn to dusk unsupervised driving – no more than one passenger
No night driving
Continue driver “training”
Full license – No earlier than age 18
Suspend license for moving violations
Re-test
Family Guide to New Driver Safety
Permit Year Training
Six Critical Driving Skills
1. Off-shoulder recovery
2. Backing up maneuvers
3. Shuffle steering technique
4. See the big picture – The “4 second” rule
5. Evasive maneuvers
6. Practice and limit routes
Five Critical Parent Rules
First-Year Intermediate License
1. No more than one passenger
2. Mandatory seat belts
3. No unsupervised night driving
4. No cell phone use
5. Continue training with parent in all conditions on all road types