Distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts are two major safety concerns with teenage drivers.
February marks one of the two months each year that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) raises awareness through its Click It of Ticket campaign to encourage teenage drivers to buckle up before driving. High schools across the state will be receiving campaign awareness materials this month that will be put up in prominent areas where students are sure to see them. This issue is extremely important since the statistics show the dangers driving presents to our least experienced teenage drivers. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) found that drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 are less likely to wear safety belts and that teens have a higher incidence of unbelted injuries and/or deaths resulting from automobile crashes. Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens across the United States, and we applaud TxDOT for their efforts to make a difference.
For most teens, simply going through the state’s driver education requirements, whether that be the standard commercial school or completing a state approved online driver education course, isn’t enough. Parents should be constantly engaging their teens regarding their driving habits and the various dangers that are present on today’s roadways. One of the key factors for why teens are disproportionately injured and killed in traffic crashes as compared to the general population is simply their inexperience which many times causes them to take risks they shouldn’t be taking. It is for this reason that awareness campaigns such as Click It or Ticket are so important. It is also the reason that many states have what is called “graduated driver licensing”, which puts restrictions on teens even after they have their license, while they gain experience. For example, Texas has the following restrictions for drivers under the age of 18 as part of their graduated driver licensing program:
- Applicants under the age of 18 must hold a learner’s permit or a hardship license for at least six months before receiving a provisional license.
- A learner’s permit holder must have a currently licensed driver over the age of 21 accompanying them in the front seat while driving.
- While in the provisional phase of licensing (the first six months following receipt of their license) a driver between the ages of 16 and 18 may not:
- Have more than one passenger in their vehicle that is under 21 years of age that is not a family member, or
- Operate their vehicle after 12 midnight and 5 AM, unless driving is necessary for employment, school or school-related activities or a medical emergency.
So between the graduated licensing program, awareness programs such as Click It or Ticket running this month in Texas to help encourage seat belt use, and hopefully the continual efforts of parents / guardians to remind teenage drivers about wearing seat belts and staying focused on the driving task, much is being done to help improve the dangerous issues facing teenage drivers. Keep up the good work TxDOT. Keep up the good work!
