I have always thought it crazy that we allow 16 year-olds to drive cars. Cars are dangerous even in the hands of adults with years of experience and emotional maturity, let alone a teen who was not even allowed to cross the street by him or herself less than a decade ago. Teenage driving is the cause for a major plague of carnage on the roads; a carnage that we as a society tend not to want to pay attention to. 2010 stats from the Centers for Disease Control show that teen drivers are extremely dangerous, especially to themselves. They show that driving is the leading cause of death for males 13-19. Approximately 1/3 of all deaths among teens (male and female) are due to motor vehicle accidents. 7 teenagers died everyday from motor vehicle accidents in 2010. Almost 300,000 teens were treated and released from hospitals for their injuries from vehicle accidents that year. 16 year olds have the highest crash rate of all ages. Almost 60% of teen passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teen.
Some states are moving to implement stricter rules for young drivers and some are even raising the driving age. These moves are proven to reduce roadway accidents. Fortunately, roadway deaths have been steadily declining for years due to these new rules (along with improved safety features in cars) and for an unexpected reason. Teens are driving less.
The Chicago Tribune reports that teens are less interested in getting their driver’s licenses in recent years. Teens are not losing interest in driving because of the danger, but for a reason that has been the cause of major changes throughout our society. The Tribune notes that more and more kids are placing a higher emphasis on technology (social media connectedness) and less on the need for the direct personal connection dependent on long distance travel. They note that this trend has auto makers worried.
Some stats: 30 years ago nearly half of all American 16 year olds had a driver’s license. in 2010 that dropped to 28% as shown in a University of Michigan study. Drivers age 15 to 20 accounted for 3.4% of new car sales in 1985 dropping to 2% currently. The Tribune reports that teens consider technology such as iPads and iPhones to be today’s status symbols, cars not so much anymore. But it goes beyond gadget status symbols. With the internet always available, these gadgets make the need for car travel irrelevant. You can see your friends, buy music, and watch movies instantly with a few thumb movements. It is easy to see how these devices provide a quick and easy substitute to the car. Yeah internet!