Young Driver
Young drivers should avoid teen passengers
Thu, 15 Dec 2005
Inexperienced drivers already facing the nerve-racking encounter of being behind the wheel, can be easily distracted if their friends are in the car with them, it has been found.
With youngsters twice as likely to be involved in a car crash than more experienced motorists, a scheme introduced in Florida restricting the number of teenagers allowed in the car of a younger driver has proved very effective.
The graduated driver-licensing plan, introduced in the US state in 1997, also sets hours that young drivers are allowed on the roads, resulting in a nine per cent decrease in crashes involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers.
Terry Schiavone, regional administrator for the south-east region of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told The Ledger: "North Carolina has seen a 25 per cent reduction in crashes for drivers who were 16 years old.
"These laws are effective because they remove one of the biggest risk factors for crashes when young drivers are at the wheel - other teenage passengers."
A total of 47 US states have now adopted some or all of the provisions for a graduated driver license with the result of a "significant reduction" in teen fatalities.
Newly qualified drivers can also benefit from the advantages of taking out young driver car insurance in order to provide adequate cover in the event of a prang.
© Adfero Ltd
