The cost of teen driving is astronomical in all aspects. A recent report by AAA says that car accidents involving drivers aged 15-17 cost more than $34 billion in medical expenses, property damage, and related costs in 2006. Of that $34 billion, $9.8 billion was related to fatal crashes, and $20.5 billion had to do with non-fatal crashes. The same study found that this age group was involved in approximately 974,000 crashes that injured over 406,400 people and killed 2,541. Also, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, making up 36% of all deaths for this age group.

So what can we do about the problem? Most driver’s education programs aren’t comprehensive enough to fully educate teens about the dangers of driving. But the Mid-Ohio School in Lexington, Ohio, has offered an intense Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program for over fifteen years. Teens are taught how to avoid accidents by practicing emergency driving situations like wet braking techniques and emergency lane-changes in a controlled environment. If you don’t live in Ohio, Tire Rack’s Street Survival program takes place in 50 cities and is open to permitted and licensed drivers ages 16 to 21. The program teaches teens how to become more aware of traffic problems and to better anticipate other driver’s actions.

Car insurance companies have also begun trying to make driving safer for teens. State Farm offers a program that requires drivers under 19 to sign a parent-teen driving contract, and people over 19 to sign a safe-driving pledge. AAA also offers parent-teen driving contracts and supports a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system where teens begin driving under a three-stage system. This will hopefully continue being a significant method of reducing injuries and deaths from driving. A study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety showed that the GDL system in California has led to a 23% overall reduction in the crash-involvement rate of 16-year-old drivers, and a 38% decrease in crash rates with teenage passengers. These statistics are encouraging and are more support for the idea that GDL systems are effective.

For more information about car rental in Atlanta, contact Triangle Rent A Car today!

Tags: Auto News, General Auto //