Prevention Library
Cutting Down on Teen Driving Accidents
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Teenagers can be dangerous drivers. Their inexperience, the willingness to take risks and frequent driving with friends at night increases their vulnerability. They make up only 7 percent of the driving population, yet are involve in 14 percent of all traffic deaths. Graduated licensing is one Way to reduce teen injuries and deaths. Through this system, teen drivers gradually earn full driving privileges through a series of stages. In the first stage, teens are usually required to hold a learner's permit and drive a certain number of hours accompanied by a parent or guardian. The goal of the learner's stage is to give the teens the opportunity to gain as much driving experience as possible in lower risk situations. After the learner's permit, teen drivers 'graduate' to the intermediate stage and are allowed to drive without parent or guardian, but still with some restrictions. Some states place passenger restrictions, meaning teens can have only a certain number of people in the vehicle while they are driving. In some states, since nighttime driving leads to more teen crashes, curfews are used to remove this risk. Once the teen has completed the learner's and intermediate stages, he or she is eligible to apply for a full license--in other words, one without restrictions. Over the past few years, most states have passed some kind of graduated licensing. Many states are amending their laws by adding new restrictions, like curfews and placing limits on the age and number of passengers.
How Much Accidents Cost
The National Safety Council determines how much accidents cost society by figuring out the actual economic costs: wage and productivity losses; medical expenses; insurance, police and legal costs; motor-vehicle damage; and employer costs, then adds the value of lost quality of life. The values of lost quality of life are obtained through empirical studies of what people actually pay to reduce their safety risks, such as buying safety features like air bags. The figures they come up with show the average costs per death or per injury for a certain year. In 1999, the average economic cost was: Per Death--$970,000 Per Disabling Injury--$35,300 By adding the value of lost quality of life, you get the comprehensive cost, for 1999: Per Death--$3,100,150 Per Serious Injury--$153,453
Money For Those With Brain Or Spinal Cord Injuries
Through additional fines on traffic violations or surcharges on court convictions, at least 12 states (Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Mississippi and Tennessee) have established brain or spinal cord injury trust funds to provide the help needed for survivors to return to the community. Louisiana's trust, created by the Legislature in 1993, currently serves 250 citizens, although 400 are on the waiting list. The fund relies entirely on additional fees imposed for driving offenses to provide medicine, rehabilitation and equipment necessary for daily living. So far, just under $11 million has been collected. Expenditures are capped at $15,000 for any 12-month period and $50,000 in total expenditures per individual. On average, the fund collects $1.5 million annually.