WHY 16 YEAR OLDS SHOULDN'T DRIVE

WHY 16 YEAR OLDS SHOULDN'T DRIVE

by Louis Tesoro, MD

It is a quiet autumn afternoon. The sun is bright. The streets are clear with little traffic. Visibility is excellent. The kids are in school. Animals and other critters are staying clear of the roads. You are alone in the car. You've had a good night's sleep. The radio is off, as is your cell phone. Still, danger is lurking. Because you are 16 years old; and you are driving a car.

Traffic data indicate that the most likely time in a person's driving career for a accident to occur is during the first six months after they begin driving. For 16 year olds, the rate of accidents is higher in this period than for any other age group, and frequently fatal. Driving, like life, requires seasoning, maturity, experience; we should be wary of young drivers because they just don't have it.

That is not to say that older drivers do. But consider this. Even in the vignette above--the beautiful day with no distractions--there are still numerous hazards. A car is a powerful machine. A slight slip on the foot pedal, a slightly careless turn of the steering wheel can rapidly cause a stable situation to become critical. Sixteen year olds tend to have many things on their minds; and to be both fearless and think they are immortal. Not a good combination for approaching a very serious endeavor.

Even without other hazards, road conditions can create challenges. Consider the intersection of Mount Lucas Road and Jefferson, just up the block from our office. Jefferson intersects Mount Lucas at a very acute angle to the right going north, while traffic coming from route 206 on Jefferson is partially hidden. Managing this stop sign is difficult even for the best drivers.

Now add a passenger or two. Leave the radio on--perhaps a favorite song goes on and the volume increases. A beep from the cell phone indicates a new text message. It's 5:43 P.M., not quite dark, but visibility is failing. It's overcast, starting to drizzle, and there is a new film of water sitting on the road. The deer have started to move; kids are home from school; cyclists on the road. Traffic increases as many motorists hurry home from a busy day. You have a tendency to sometimes get distracted ...

It doesn't take much. Driving in the best of conditions is a tense experience. Sometimes, it's downright frightening. I'm not saying that no 16 year old should drive, or that turning 17 or 18 makes it all okay. But many people in our community feel that driving is a right. It is not. It is a privilege that must be earned. More teenagers die of violent deaths in this country than of any other cause, with traffic accidents among the top causes. Each year, each year, we lose someone from this practice to driving related death. I don't know about you, but I can't bear to lose another.

Some things cannot be helped, but we can make a difference. Talk to your kids. Make a pact with them to drive safely. Tell them they cannot drive if they don't obey the rules. Urge them to take driving seriously, to never drink and operate a vehicle, to have no shame about saying, "I don't feel I can drive now", and to watch out for the other guy.

Of course, I don't mean that 16 year olds can't drive. But let's all be a bit more careful and respectful of this challenging task, and maybe our children will be a bit safer.

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