Should
Teens Take The Wheel?
By Ethan Mitkowski
2002 Republican-American
By Ethan Mitkowski
2002 Republican-American
State
driver training courses take heat for being too lenient
A crowd of
teens muscled noisily through the classroom door. Robert Clancy, a driver's
education instructor at the Academy of Driving in Waterbury, waited patiently
for the cell phones, beepers and gossiping to cease. When the babble subsided,
Clancy drew four rectangles on the blackboard, aligning them like the tires of
a car.
"You're riding on these four things," Clancy began. "Everyone know what they are, right?"
The answer was a bitter slice of adolescent sarcasm: "Rectangles."
Wrong answer. The correct answer was, of course, tires. Clancy corrected them and told them that proper tire maintenance is a key factor in driving safely.
This was a valuable lesson for his students, because the 40 teenagers in this classroom - all around 16 years old - are four times as likely to die in a car crash as older drivers. These teens probably have no idea that 56 of their peers - more than enough 16- to 20-year-olds to fill this classroom- died in Connecticut car crashes in 2000.
Drivers aged 16 to 20 comprised 10 percent of Connecticut's automobile fatalities for that year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Some blame those deaths on the state's lenient driver training requirements.
State's Driver Training Criticized
Connecticut has among the most lenient teenage driver training requirements of any state, say one state legislator and an insurance watchdog group. While many states require upwards of 30 hours of classroom instruction, critics claim that the often-unruly classes provide only basic driver skills. Besides, experts say what really matters is time spent training behind the wheel, not in the classroom.
Many states restrict nighttime driving and the number of passengers allowed in a teen's car. Both factors figure heavily in teen accidents, but Connecticut law provides no restriction on either.
And there is the problem of maturity. While experts say that maturity is one of the most significant factors in teenage driving fatalities, no school or instructor can test for that.
"Judging maturity is something that's tough to pin down," said Department of Motor Vehicles Spokesman William Seymour. "Some people at 35 aren't mature enough to drive but they meet all the requirements."
Despite the criticism of its driver's training, Connecticut's teen driver fatalities are comparatively few. In 2000, when 16- to 20- year-olds comprised 10 percent of Connecticut's driver fatalities, the same age group comprised 14 percent of fatalities in Michigan - a state whose driver training program has been touted as one of the best in the nation. In Massachusetts and Delaware, both of which enforce highly regarded training programs, 16- to 20-year-old drivers comprised nearly 15 percent and 18 percent of fatalities, respectively.
But Connecticut's comparatively low death rate is not enough to quell some legislators, who believe that more adequate driver training will make the state's teens safer on the road.
"At 16, driving is not a right or a necessity," said Rep. David Scribner, R-Brookfield, who has authored legislation to tighten the training requirements. "You kind of have to earn it through experience."
Two Ways to Learn
Anyone under age 18 who wants a Connecticut driver's license must learn to drive in one of two ways: through a state-approved driving school or under the guidance of a guardian with at least four years of driving experience. In either instance, teens can apply for a learner's permit at age 16.
If teens learn at home, they must hold that learner's permit for at least six months, undergo at least 25 hours of course study (provided by their guardian) and eight hours of on-road practice. They must also undergo at least five hours of instruction that include the effects and penalties of alcohol and drug use while driving. Their guardian must sign a statement saying that the teen has undergone all necessary training at the time of the driving test.
The majority of Connecticut teens, however, learn to drive through private driving schools. In the past, many teens learned through driver's education classes at their local high school. Soaring insurance and car maintenance costs put too much strain on school budgets, however, and the last 15 years or so driver's education has become the province of private schools, which charge around $350 for the class.
In those schools, teens must complete 30 hours of classroom training and eight hours of on-road training before they test for their license. They must also hold a learner's permit for at least four months before testing.
"You're riding on these four things," Clancy began. "Everyone know what they are, right?"
The answer was a bitter slice of adolescent sarcasm: "Rectangles."
Wrong answer. The correct answer was, of course, tires. Clancy corrected them and told them that proper tire maintenance is a key factor in driving safely.
This was a valuable lesson for his students, because the 40 teenagers in this classroom - all around 16 years old - are four times as likely to die in a car crash as older drivers. These teens probably have no idea that 56 of their peers - more than enough 16- to 20-year-olds to fill this classroom- died in Connecticut car crashes in 2000.
Drivers aged 16 to 20 comprised 10 percent of Connecticut's automobile fatalities for that year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Some blame those deaths on the state's lenient driver training requirements.
State's Driver Training Criticized
Connecticut has among the most lenient teenage driver training requirements of any state, say one state legislator and an insurance watchdog group. While many states require upwards of 30 hours of classroom instruction, critics claim that the often-unruly classes provide only basic driver skills. Besides, experts say what really matters is time spent training behind the wheel, not in the classroom.
Many states restrict nighttime driving and the number of passengers allowed in a teen's car. Both factors figure heavily in teen accidents, but Connecticut law provides no restriction on either.
And there is the problem of maturity. While experts say that maturity is one of the most significant factors in teenage driving fatalities, no school or instructor can test for that.
"Judging maturity is something that's tough to pin down," said Department of Motor Vehicles Spokesman William Seymour. "Some people at 35 aren't mature enough to drive but they meet all the requirements."
Despite the criticism of its driver's training, Connecticut's teen driver fatalities are comparatively few. In 2000, when 16- to 20- year-olds comprised 10 percent of Connecticut's driver fatalities, the same age group comprised 14 percent of fatalities in Michigan - a state whose driver training program has been touted as one of the best in the nation. In Massachusetts and Delaware, both of which enforce highly regarded training programs, 16- to 20-year-old drivers comprised nearly 15 percent and 18 percent of fatalities, respectively.
But Connecticut's comparatively low death rate is not enough to quell some legislators, who believe that more adequate driver training will make the state's teens safer on the road.
"At 16, driving is not a right or a necessity," said Rep. David Scribner, R-Brookfield, who has authored legislation to tighten the training requirements. "You kind of have to earn it through experience."
Two Ways to Learn
Anyone under age 18 who wants a Connecticut driver's license must learn to drive in one of two ways: through a state-approved driving school or under the guidance of a guardian with at least four years of driving experience. In either instance, teens can apply for a learner's permit at age 16.
If teens learn at home, they must hold that learner's permit for at least six months, undergo at least 25 hours of course study (provided by their guardian) and eight hours of on-road practice. They must also undergo at least five hours of instruction that include the effects and penalties of alcohol and drug use while driving. Their guardian must sign a statement saying that the teen has undergone all necessary training at the time of the driving test.
The majority of Connecticut teens, however, learn to drive through private driving schools. In the past, many teens learned through driver's education classes at their local high school. Soaring insurance and car maintenance costs put too much strain on school budgets, however, and the last 15 years or so driver's education has become the province of private schools, which charge around $350 for the class.
In those schools, teens must complete 30 hours of classroom training and eight hours of on-road training before they test for their license. They must also hold a learner's permit for at least four months before testing.
Proposed Laws
Toughen Driver Training
The problem with some driving schools, said Jack Sousa, owner of Connecticut's Sears Driving School and the Academy of Driving, is that they don't teach young drivers much worthwhile material. Many schools offer low prices and disorganized class schedules that teach teens enough to pass the driver's license test, but not enough to leave with any valuable driving skills, he said.
The state inspects driving schools to ensure that they are teaching students what's required by law. Department of Motor Vehicle inspectors observe at least one class on each course taught, test instructors on the driving skills they're supposed to be teaching, and conduct an annual inspection of the vehicles that students learn in. But Sousa admits that even at well-run driving schools, teens leave with only the most rudimentary of driving skills. That can mean trouble once teens have passed their driver's test, because they are given unrestricted access to the nation's highways. They are not, however, always prepared for such freedom.
Clancy, who's been teaching driver education for the last eight months, said it isn't always easy to keep his students on task, despite the importance of the topic.
"I know the subject can be dry," Clancy said. "But hey, these kids have something they can learn here."
Clancy's students will admit as much. As Duane Magi, a 16-year-old from Prospect put it, "He tells you stuff you don't know. A lot about laws and stuff, things you don't think of."
The problem with some driving schools, said Jack Sousa, owner of Connecticut's Sears Driving School and the Academy of Driving, is that they don't teach young drivers much worthwhile material. Many schools offer low prices and disorganized class schedules that teach teens enough to pass the driver's license test, but not enough to leave with any valuable driving skills, he said.
The state inspects driving schools to ensure that they are teaching students what's required by law. Department of Motor Vehicle inspectors observe at least one class on each course taught, test instructors on the driving skills they're supposed to be teaching, and conduct an annual inspection of the vehicles that students learn in. But Sousa admits that even at well-run driving schools, teens leave with only the most rudimentary of driving skills. That can mean trouble once teens have passed their driver's test, because they are given unrestricted access to the nation's highways. They are not, however, always prepared for such freedom.
Clancy, who's been teaching driver education for the last eight months, said it isn't always easy to keep his students on task, despite the importance of the topic.
"I know the subject can be dry," Clancy said. "But hey, these kids have something they can learn here."
Clancy's students will admit as much. As Duane Magi, a 16-year-old from Prospect put it, "He tells you stuff you don't know. A lot about laws and stuff, things you don't think of."
Even so, the
state's training requirements pale beside those of some other states. In
Michigan, for example, teen drivers must spend at least 50 hours driving under
adult supervision and cannot carry any teen passengers. Several states - like
Delaware and New York - prohibit unsupervised teen driving after 9 p.m. Others
begin the curfew at midnight. In states with the most strict driver training
requirements, fatalities among teens drop considerably. According to the
Journal of the American Medical Association, crashes involving 16-year-old
drivers dropped by 25 percent when Michigan's stricter teen-driver programs
were instituted. Nighttime accidents dropped more than 50 percent, and
accidents that resulted in death or injury dropped 24 percent.
Scribner, driven to action after a slew of teenage driving deaths plagued Litchfield and Fairfield counties, will try to pass similar driver-training laws when the Legislature meets on Feb. 6. He authored three bills to toughen driver requirements last session. One proposed limiting new drivers to only one passenger for the first six months that they hold a license. Another proposed prohibiting drivers aged 16 and 17 from driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The third proposed increasing the total hours of behind the wheel training from eight to 12, with two hours after sunset.
Freedom Rises with Experience
Only that last proposal survived the committee process, but it was never debated within the legislature. Like many bills, it was placed too far down on the legislative calendar to be debated before the session closed. Scribner is in the process of drafting new bills for the coming session.
"It's going to come back again this year, I assure you," Scribner said. "Overall most of the people seemed very supportive of the measures."
The measures that Scribner has proposed are often call graduated licensing. The idea is to give teens increased levels of driving freedom as their experience increases. All but four states have instituted some degree of graduated licensing, many of which require increased time driving under the supervision of adults, restricted driving hours, a limited number of passengers in a teen's car, and continued training through age 18. Despite those efforts, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety lists only nine states that have enough driver training requirements to obtain the group's "Good" rating, the highest rating possible.
Bills that seek to change that situation have surfaced before, said Sen. Biagio Ciotto, D-Wethersfield, chair of the Legislature's transportation committee. The last significant change to driving training came in 1997, when legislators amended state law to require a longer waiting period after a teen's 16th birthday before they can test for their license.
"This is a very sensitive issue to deal with," Ciotto said. "We're going to take a long hard look at this in the coming session, but you know who hollers the most when we change these laws? Forget the kids, it's the parents."
Parents who believe their 16-year-olds need to drive are often the most vocal opposition to more stringent training requirements, Ciotto said. Because parents rarely have the time to chauffeur their teens to the slew of activities teenagers regularly take part in, parents will often push for their teens to drive a soon as possible. That can make it difficult for legislators to support a graduated licensing program .
Scribner heard those complaints when he proposed his graduated licensing measures last session. He also heard complaints from several driving school owners, who claimed that increased requirements would lead to increased tuition costs. That, in turn, could deter people from enrolling in their schools, they claimed.
"Some people felt we were attempting to interfere with the parenting process," Scribner said. "But I don't think that in general that the majority of people feel that way."
Neither does Ciotto, who believes that in time, more rigorous standards will be required of teenage drivers.
"It's something that I promise we'll take a very good look at," he said. "In the last couple of years it's come up more frequently, and I think they'll make it someday."
Training is only part of Connecticut's problem, critics say. There is also the problem of driver testing.
"Passing your test and getting your license is no guarantee you can drive," said Bob Green, a senior instructor with New Milford's Skip Barber Driving School.
"I think the issue has always been that the test doesn't really test anything."
Green thinks that the 30 minutes-to-an-hour that a Department of Motor Vehicles inspector observes a teenager during a driving test is not enough time to determine if that teen has the skills, or the maturity, to drive. A short trip around the block and a few parking maneuvers cannot determine a person's skill, he said.
Passing Test No Ticket to Good Driving
Seymour defended the testing process, saying that it adequately tested a driver's competence in the mechanical operation of a motor vehicle. It is not the department's business, he said, to gauge the maturity of a teenager and deny or issue a driver's license based on that issue.
"We are not in the business of determining an exact psychological position of somebody. A parent has to make a decision whether they want their child to have their driver's license," Seymour said.
"A parent has to make a decision whether they want their child to have a motor vehicle. A parent has to make a decision whether their child, their teen, is mature enough to continue to use that license to drive a motor vehicle."
That becomes clear talking to students in Clancy's class.
Magi, the teen who said Clancy taught him "a lot about laws and stuff, things you don't think of," somehow missed one of the most important lessons; the lesson is about doing everything you can not to die in a car crash.
"I'm not worried about that," Magi said. "If I'm in a parking lot I'll go slower and watch out, but I don't think about that stuff when I'm driving. If it's gonna happen, it will."
Not all teens, of course, are so unconcerned.
Nick Beni, a 17-year-old high school senior from Salisbury, infrequently drives on the highways and in crowded cities. Although he's been driving for more that a year, he refuses to drive in high-traffic areas without more experience.
"We only had eight hours of driving time with the instructor, and I only went onto the highway once," Beni explained. "You need to have more driving time. You don't get the real-life situations in the class."
Representatives from the state Office of Policy and Management said the office was not supporting any particular legislation to toughen driver training requirements, but Seymour said that the DMV was constantly considering new methods to make teens better drivers.
"In terms of benchmarking, I think we're doing a pretty good job of it right now," Seymour said. "There's always room for improvement and we're always looking at ways to increase the training of drivers. It's right at the top of the priority list."
Scribner, driven to action after a slew of teenage driving deaths plagued Litchfield and Fairfield counties, will try to pass similar driver-training laws when the Legislature meets on Feb. 6. He authored three bills to toughen driver requirements last session. One proposed limiting new drivers to only one passenger for the first six months that they hold a license. Another proposed prohibiting drivers aged 16 and 17 from driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The third proposed increasing the total hours of behind the wheel training from eight to 12, with two hours after sunset.
Freedom Rises with Experience
Only that last proposal survived the committee process, but it was never debated within the legislature. Like many bills, it was placed too far down on the legislative calendar to be debated before the session closed. Scribner is in the process of drafting new bills for the coming session.
"It's going to come back again this year, I assure you," Scribner said. "Overall most of the people seemed very supportive of the measures."
The measures that Scribner has proposed are often call graduated licensing. The idea is to give teens increased levels of driving freedom as their experience increases. All but four states have instituted some degree of graduated licensing, many of which require increased time driving under the supervision of adults, restricted driving hours, a limited number of passengers in a teen's car, and continued training through age 18. Despite those efforts, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety lists only nine states that have enough driver training requirements to obtain the group's "Good" rating, the highest rating possible.
Bills that seek to change that situation have surfaced before, said Sen. Biagio Ciotto, D-Wethersfield, chair of the Legislature's transportation committee. The last significant change to driving training came in 1997, when legislators amended state law to require a longer waiting period after a teen's 16th birthday before they can test for their license.
"This is a very sensitive issue to deal with," Ciotto said. "We're going to take a long hard look at this in the coming session, but you know who hollers the most when we change these laws? Forget the kids, it's the parents."
Parents who believe their 16-year-olds need to drive are often the most vocal opposition to more stringent training requirements, Ciotto said. Because parents rarely have the time to chauffeur their teens to the slew of activities teenagers regularly take part in, parents will often push for their teens to drive a soon as possible. That can make it difficult for legislators to support a graduated licensing program .
Scribner heard those complaints when he proposed his graduated licensing measures last session. He also heard complaints from several driving school owners, who claimed that increased requirements would lead to increased tuition costs. That, in turn, could deter people from enrolling in their schools, they claimed.
"Some people felt we were attempting to interfere with the parenting process," Scribner said. "But I don't think that in general that the majority of people feel that way."
Neither does Ciotto, who believes that in time, more rigorous standards will be required of teenage drivers.
"It's something that I promise we'll take a very good look at," he said. "In the last couple of years it's come up more frequently, and I think they'll make it someday."
Training is only part of Connecticut's problem, critics say. There is also the problem of driver testing.
"Passing your test and getting your license is no guarantee you can drive," said Bob Green, a senior instructor with New Milford's Skip Barber Driving School.
"I think the issue has always been that the test doesn't really test anything."
Green thinks that the 30 minutes-to-an-hour that a Department of Motor Vehicles inspector observes a teenager during a driving test is not enough time to determine if that teen has the skills, or the maturity, to drive. A short trip around the block and a few parking maneuvers cannot determine a person's skill, he said.
Passing Test No Ticket to Good Driving
Seymour defended the testing process, saying that it adequately tested a driver's competence in the mechanical operation of a motor vehicle. It is not the department's business, he said, to gauge the maturity of a teenager and deny or issue a driver's license based on that issue.
"We are not in the business of determining an exact psychological position of somebody. A parent has to make a decision whether they want their child to have their driver's license," Seymour said.
"A parent has to make a decision whether they want their child to have a motor vehicle. A parent has to make a decision whether their child, their teen, is mature enough to continue to use that license to drive a motor vehicle."
That becomes clear talking to students in Clancy's class.
Magi, the teen who said Clancy taught him "a lot about laws and stuff, things you don't think of," somehow missed one of the most important lessons; the lesson is about doing everything you can not to die in a car crash.
"I'm not worried about that," Magi said. "If I'm in a parking lot I'll go slower and watch out, but I don't think about that stuff when I'm driving. If it's gonna happen, it will."
Not all teens, of course, are so unconcerned.
Nick Beni, a 17-year-old high school senior from Salisbury, infrequently drives on the highways and in crowded cities. Although he's been driving for more that a year, he refuses to drive in high-traffic areas without more experience.
"We only had eight hours of driving time with the instructor, and I only went onto the highway once," Beni explained. "You need to have more driving time. You don't get the real-life situations in the class."
Representatives from the state Office of Policy and Management said the office was not supporting any particular legislation to toughen driver training requirements, but Seymour said that the DMV was constantly considering new methods to make teens better drivers.
"In terms of benchmarking, I think we're doing a pretty good job of it right now," Seymour said. "There's always room for improvement and we're always looking at ways to increase the training of drivers. It's right at the top of the priority list."