This is National Teen Driver Safety Week. And a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows that while much progress has been made in reducing crashes and fatalities over the past decade, teen drivers are still about one and a half times more accident-prone than their adult counterparts. But after a 50% drop from 2005 to 2014, fatal crashes across the country spiked about 10% in 2015. Jim Graham is the manager of Ford’s “Driving Skills For Life” program. And he says you might be surprised to know that older young adults, 18 to 20 years old, are more likely to be killed. That’s because more are waiting until 18 to get a license and are actually less experienced…
Graham says 15 to 17 year-old drivers must participate in the Graduated License Program, which restricts driving hours and bans teen passengers, early on, unless a parent or guardian is also in the vehicle. They must also complete a training course of at least 6 hours. He says older teens are also in less of a hurry to get a license, since most stay connected with friends through social media…
The Governors Highway Safety Association would like to see the Graduated License Program be required for any driver under age 21.
KNCO Web Comments Guidelines