ON SAFER GROUND
Readers speak out on teenage driving and how to improve a deadly record
Jill Young Miller - Staff
Thursday, December 7, 2000

They grow up fast, don't they? Before parents know it, kids are asking for the car keys.

And then parents worry, with good reason. Metro Atlanta's streets this year have been more deadly for high schoolers than the Columbine massacre.

What can we do to keep teens safer on the road? The Legislature will take up this question soon, but before they do, we wanted readers to tell us their ideas. And tell us they did. Some called for mandatory driver's ed, raising the legal driving age, more vigilant parents, even an end to high schools allowing kids to drive to school. No one has the ultimate answer, but clearly readers have been giving a lot of thought to teen driving.

What follows is an edited-for-space sampling of AJC readers' ideas:

Linda Kelly, 51, Conyers

The recklessness of teenagers is nothing new. What is different is the permissiveness of parents and the lack of responsibility they teach their children. When my daughter became 16, I did not feel as if it were my responsibility to buy her a car. Her dad did give her an older pickup, but there were rules. I told her if she was old enough to drive, then she was old enough to buy the gasoline, oil, tires and insurance herself. I knew if she was reckless and began receiving speeding tickets, she would then understand how insurance rates soar and tickets cost money. She agreed, and, shortly after, she did get a speeding ticket. It cost her $95. It was her last ticket, and she has never had a wreck.

Brian Luders, 43, Duluth

Kids need hours of supervised experience behind the wheel before they begin driving solo. And while they are in their first year of driving, they cannot handle the distractions caused by carrying a car full of teen passengers.

I am working with my state representative to draft legislation requiring 50 hours of documented driving experience before kids take their driver's test, a graduated system of allowing teen passengers during their first year of driving, an on-road driver's test, and an emphasis on driver's education.

I have created a Web page as a resource for interested parents and teens: www.scaredgeorgia.org.

Alan Berman, 46, Marietta

For my son, the privilege of driving is directly tied to grades. My 16-year-old must have a B average in core courses. No excuses. He has a curfew. He has a passenger limit. He has zero tolerance on tickets. He pays his own insurance and gas. He must have a job. In other words, he must be responsible to have the responsibility of driving.

Steven, 39, and Vanessa Dickens, 42, Fayetteville

The real problem is that our children don't know how to drive, haven't learned the mechanics of driving and have no idea what to do in emergency situations. We believe the best solution is to place driver's education programs back in the schools. I know critics of this idea talk about the cost of reinstating this program. But tell us: How can we put a cost on our children's lives?

Charles Berry, 50, Lawrenceville

Our girls share a classic car and are restricted to where and when they can drive. No exceptions. They each got or will obtain their license at 18 --- Daddy's law, not Georgia's.

Rosemarie Elefante, 46, Marietta

Parents bear the greatest responsibility when it comes to setting limits for teen driving. It seems obvious that teenagers, who have little sense of their own mortality, should not be provided with fast-driving, sporty cars, which encourage risky behavior.

Among other things, parents need to know where and with whom their kids are going when they head out the door. Some things just can't be legislated.

However, parents could surely use some help from state law when it comes to the legal driving age. A 15-year-old is too young to begin driving in this major metropolitan area. A license at 16, albeit with restrictions, is somewhat of a joke. Georgia's driving age needs to be raised. Two more years could mean a lot more judgment on the part of the young driver.

Lisa Strohsnitter, 42, Duluth

When our son was turning 15, we told him driving was a privilege to be earned. Grades must be up and teenage "attitude" in check at all times. Lots of practice in parking lots and on local roads.

We had two requirements for a driver's license: driver's ed and a job. He paid for driver's ed and the increase in insurance when he was added to our policy.

Now that he has a license, he is limited to certain routes and areas where he can drive. He is not allowed to carry any passengers except family. We do not allow him to drive without us after 10 p.m. He has graciously accepted these restrictions. As time goes on, some of these restrictions will be lifted, but he will have to earn that.

Edward A. Watkins, 66, DeKalb County

Every new, first-time driver of any age should undergo training in a state-licensed driving school.

Georgia should provide a test that includes driving on city streets and the interstate, and a comprehensive written examination. The fee for a first-time license should be raised to, perhaps, $50. If one can afford to drive a car, one can afford training and testing.

Drivers under 18 should undergo a six-month probationary period. During probation, a new driver would have to be accompanied by an adult over age 21. After-probation drivers under 18 could transport no more than one other person under 21, and would not be permitted to drive between midnight and 5 a.m. Any moving violation by a driver under 18 would mean license suspension for one year.

Rachel Fletcher, 17, Atlanta

I am a 17-year-old with the opportunity to get my driver's license whenever I want to. However, I do not drive often enough to consider myself ready for a license.

Many legislators suggest pushing back the age at which a teen can obtain a license to 18. The reasoning behind this is that maturity increases with age. Such is not always true. Experience, in addition to maturity, creates a safe driver. Pushing back the age to 18 would be effective if and only if teens were required to drive with a learner's permit for a minimum of two years.

Other possible solutions to the driving dilemma are introducing mandatory driver's education courses in high school and increasing restrictions on teen drivers. Restrictions such as limiting the number of passengers a teen can carry in a car, banning cellphones while driving, and enforcing curfews more strictly would create safer roads for everyone.

Deborah Torell, 50, Acworth

We required our daughter to drive in all kinds of weather, at all times of the day, on all kinds of roads. Now that she has her license, she will not be allowed to take passengers (except family members) for several months. Hopefully this experience, combined with common sense, will give her what she needs to be a good driver. We also do a lot of praying!

Tricia Hopkins, 17, Roswell

Being a teenager myself and a fairly new driver to the streets of Atlanta, I feel the restrictions my parents have put on my driving are for my best interest. After keeping my learner's permit for a year and a half, and three months in driver's ed, I finally received the much-coveted driver's license. After a few months, I proved to be responsible and bought my own car.

When taking a look around the parking lot at my school, the thing that stands out are the amount of cars with dents and broken headlights. These dents are the scars of ''what could have been" and ''what might be" if parents continue to let immature, inexperienced teens onto the streets.

Judy-Lynn Hoppe, 55, Powder Springs

My 16-year-old son is the youngest of our five children and is looking forward to getting his license. He has held his permit for almost a year. The first time behind the wheel, he drove in the local cemetery. I find it a safe place to start but with some challenge --- narrow road, hills and curves. Also, this is a chance to point out that this is where you don't want to end up and speculate on how many people are there because of car accidents.

Jack Kuehn, 59, Marietta

The laws need to be made tougher since so many parents do not seem to have the will to take a stand with their teenagers when it comes to driving. I have every intention of being the ''most hated dad" when it comes time for my 13-year-old son to get behind the wheel.

TEEN DRIVING
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
Share your opinions, advice and strategies by calling 404-222-1916 or e-mailing constitution@ ajc.com. We will publish responses, so include your name, city and phone number.
AJC TOWN MEETING
Panelists discuss teen driving at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at:
CHATTAHOOCHEE TECHNICAL COLLEGE, Mountain View Campus, 2680 Gordy Parkway, NE, Marietta
MEADOWCREEK HIGH SCHOOL, 4455 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross
GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE, Clarkston Campus, 555 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston
MCINTOSH HIGH SCHOOL, 201 E. Walt Banks Road, Peachtree City

TEEN DRIVING CHECKLIST
Parents can monitor and correct their children's driving habits. Here is a checklist parents can use while riding with their teens, adapted from the Cobb County Teen Driver Awareness Committee's "Handbook for Responsible Driving."
Knows location of instruments, gauges and safety devices and checks them before driving.
Adjusts mirrors and seat properly.
Wears safety belts without being reminded.
Maintains a safe following distance.
Demonstrates correct hand position on the steering wheel.
Demonstrates the two-second rule. (You can count "one one-thousand, two one-thousand" between time the car in front of you passes a stationary object and your car reaches the same spot.)
Is aware of other drivers' blind spots.
Checks blind spots before changing lanes.
Is aware of tailgaters and knows how to deal with them.
Anticipates changing traffic lights.
Checks mirrors frequently.
Uses horn appropriately.
Signals before turns and lane changes.
Anticipates situations where it will be necessary to brake.
Appears relaxed and comfortable while driving.
Is comfortable driving at night.
Uses high and low beams appropriately.
Adjusts speed to road, traffic and weather conditions.
Works to maintain a space cushion on all four sides of the car.
Checks intersections carefully and pauses before entering an intersection.
Sets emergency brake or parking brake before leaving vehicle.
Demonstrates good, smooth movements and coordination during and after turns.
Demonstrates good scanning habits at all times.
Obeys traffic laws and speed limits.

MAKING A DRIVING CONTRACT WITH YOUR TEEN
One way a parent can regulate a teen's driving is to have him sign a contract. Here are some sample elements for such a contract, adapted from the Cobb County Teen Driver Awareness Committee's "Handbook for Responsible Driving." Choose from these, and devise your own:
1. I will obey all traffic laws and regulations.
2. Whether I am a driver or a passenger, I will always wear a safety belt. When I am driving, I will insist that all passengers in the car wear their safety belts as well.
3. I will drive defensively.
4. Except in an emergency, I will not drive someone else's vehicle, nor permit anyone to drive mine.
5. I will keep my family advised of my intended route, anticipated time of return and any deviations or delays.
6. I will make sure an emergency identification packet is assembled and placed in the glove compartment of all cars I drive. The packet will include: maps, emergency home and medical phone numbers, driver identification, accident report forms, a list of what to do in case of an accident, automobile registration, insurance card and policy information and brief medical information such as drug allergies.
7. I will advise other drivers in the family of mechanical malfunctions with our vehicles.
8. I will keep my vehicle clean to prevent accidents from loose objects or lack of visibility.
9. I will communicate my need to use a vehicle in advance and be willing to assist in family driving chores.
10. If I am in a situation where the driver is in no condition to drive, I will call home for advice and/or transportation.
11. I will maintain at least a quarter tank of gas in the vehicle at all times.
12. I will run routine maintenance checks on oil, tire pressure, tire treads and other items that we've agreed upon.
13. I will hide in my vehicle emergency money, including change for phone calls, in the amount of $_____ at all times. If the money is used, family members must be notified and the money replaced as soon as possible.
14. I and my parent(s) will remind each other to obey traffic laws.
15. I will pay for my own gas, insurance, taxes and repairs.
16. My driving privileges will be expanded as my driving skill increases. (Example: Beginning driving privileges are restricted to daytime hours with adult supervision, graduating to more daytime driving without adult supervision, to limited nighttime driving with adult supervision, and so on.)