Disability Law

Insurance Instiute of Highway Safety Recommends Raising the Driving Age

By Jack E. Clay

I was licensed to drive at 16 like many other people. I was in a car accident shortly after getting my driver's license. However, I think this issue needs to be carefully examined. In the years that I have been a Douglasville attorney, I have represented hundreds of clients for car accident cases. Many of the clients that I have represented have been injured in an auto wreck that was caused by a young driver, often a teenage new driver. Car accidents or truck wrecks caused by teenage drivers are often due to the driver?s inexperience behind the wheel.

This week, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety put forth their recommendation that the legal driving age of 16 should be raised to 17 or even 18. The reason behind this recommendation is that teenagers are more likely to have motor vehicle accidents than any other drivers due to their lack of experience, thus, changing the driving age requirement could help to suppress the number of auto accidents per year. On average, 4,600 teenagers die each year because of car crashes. In a recent article by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Georgia Senator, Preston Smith, claimed that putting off the driving age may decrease the number of car accidents because people?s cognitive abilities and judgment improve with age.

A law did go into effect in 2007 entitled ?Joshua?s Law? that states 16 year olds must take driver?s education courses to receive their driver?s license, or, if they choose not to take the course, they must wait until they are 17 years old to obtain a license. Since this law was passed, the number of schools that offer this type of driver?s education class has increased from 38 to 161 schools in Georgia. I strongly advise any parents reading my blog to encourage their teenage driver to participate in available driver?s education courses in school or independently. The knowledge gained from such a class will have positive affects on a new driver and increase the safety of Douglas County and possibly decrease the number of car wrecks and truck wrecks.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a teenage driver, please contact my office for a free consultation.

Full post as published by Georgia Law Blog on September 15, 2008 (boomark / email).