Is Texas doing enough to protect young drivers?

If you have a son or daughter new to the road or if you are a teenager yourself then you’ve probably debated about when teens should receive their drivers’ license and how they should get it.  If you ask a teen, they’d like to be able to drive as soon as possible with no restrictions.  However, if you ask parents, lawmakers, or law enforcement officials, the answer will be very different.

The fact is that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers; one in three teens will die in a vehicle accident.  This makes teenage driving accidents a major policy issue for lawmakers and a concern of healthcare providers.  The American College of Emergency Physicians lists the reasons that teens are a danger to themselves and others behind the wheel:

• lack of driving experience
• inadequate driving skills
• excessive nighttime driving
• risk-taking behavior
• poor driving judgment and decision making
• drinking and driving
• distractions from teen passengers

In an attempt to reduce the number of teen deaths from car accidents, Texas instituted a graduated driver’s license program in 2002.  Could more be done?  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), yes.  IIHS gave Texas’ young driver licensing program a rating of “Fair”.  It seems there is room for improvement in Texas young driver laws.