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Ask a cop: Teens breaking rules, getting killed at high rates

My fellow officers and I find it common to hear a teenage driver say “I didn’t know I could not give my friends a ride.” When I hear this, I usually instruct the teenage driver to read out loud the words printed in black and white on the back of their licenses:

“Shall not drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied and supervised by a licensed driver who is the parent/guardian, a licensed driver who is 25 years of age or older, or a certified driving instructor” and “Shall not transport passengers who are under the age of 20 unless accompanied and supervised by a licensed driver who is the parent/guardian, a licensed driver who is 25 years of age or older, or a certified driving instructor.”

There are some limited exceptions to these provisions, but they require very specific circumstances and must be accompanied by detailed documentation.

I have been asked by many teenage drivers “Can’t my mom just write me a note?”

It’s not quite that simple. The documentation requirements are too lengthy to list in this column, so please refer to http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d06/vc12814_6.htm and read California Vehicle Code section 12814.6.

Parents, please make sure your teen drivers are well aware of the provisions on their driver licenses. Also, make them fully aware of the consequences for violating these provisions. For example, if the teen is involved in a traffic collision while having other teens in his/her car, would your auto insurance cover the passengers if they are injured in a traffic collision? Some policies do not even cover the driver if the driver is willingly committing a violation of law.

Parents, any time is a good time to talk to your teens about safe driving and making good decision behind the wheel. Research shows too many parents put off this conversation until their teens are permit age, or about 15 years old. We as parents usually have the big “talks” with our teenagers (such as the dangers of smoking, drugs and sex) much earlier. These talks are very important to have, but sometimes we forget the importance of safe driving. As parents, in this day and age we are so concerned about our kids being exposed to alcohol and drugs that we do not realize or understand the dangers our teens face while behind the wheel.

Learning to drive is among the most important challenges. Talk to your teens early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving when kids are young and keep talking to them before, during and after the licensing process to ensure they learn successful, safe driving skills. The consequence of unsafe driving can be deadly, so the earlier you have this talk, the better.

The following statistics about teen driving may surprise or even shock many of you:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, killing between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers every year.

According to 2002 figures, no other kind of hazard comes close to claiming as many teenage lives, including teenage homicides, 13 percent, and suicides 11 percent.

Teenage drivers account for about 12 percent of all drivers involved in fatal collisions. The fatal collision rates among 16-to- 19-year-olds is four times that of older drivers. Risk is the highest at age 16, when fatal collision rate is 40 percent higher than for 18-year-olds and 30 percent higher than for 19-year-olds.

Over 40 percent of teen auto deaths occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Almost 60 percent of teen night auto deaths occur before midnight.

Remember, just because a teen has his/her driver license it does not mean they are ready for every driving condition. Do not stop having these traffic safety talks, and don’t forget about the need to set a good example. According to a recent survey, 89 percent of teens said their parents have the biggest influence on how they drive. Another thing we can do is to go on ride-alongs with them and see how they drive. If you see them doing something that is unsafe or wrong, have them pull over and stop in a safe place where you can explain to them what they did wrong and offer constructive criticism.

Officer Al Perez works out of the California Highway Patrol’s Santa Fe Springs Division. E-mail him with your parking- or traffic-related questions to alfperez@chp.ca.gov

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