About a month ago, junior Alex Cochran and a couple of his friends were hanging out in a parking lot one day when things suddenly took a wrong turn. Literally. “A Canadian truck driver who slept in the lot did too close a turn and picked us up and moved us a little bit. It ended up ripping off our front bumper, smashing our front lights and crushing our front tires,” said Cochran.
Although Cochran and his friends were safe, some teen drivers aren’t as lucky. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, for the first 6 months of 2012, the 16- and 17-year-old number of driver deaths increased by 19%. Dr. Alan Williams, former chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, believes that the positive changes of the Graduated Driving License (GDL) laws, the laws that restrict things like cell phone use and nighttime driving, are not as effective as they once used to be.
Some teen-related accidents, however, aren’t the teenager’s fault at all. Senior Cezanne Vahid, who was driving a recently-purchased Jetta, was at a red light with his father in the passenger seat. “I remember once I stopped for the light, and then ‘bam.’ I felt this violent and forceful jolt pushing the car into the intersection,” said Vahid.
Vahid’s father’s back was injured in the accident and he was taken to the hospital. The car was completely totaled. “In total, it was about $15,000 in damage for both my dad’s back and the car.” The driver who rear-ended Vahid paid for the car’s expenses.
Vahid recalls his emotions at the time of the crash. “During the crash I was in a sort of daze. I couldn’t really believe what happened and was a little upset since I just recently got the car,” said Vahid. “In fact, I remember as I exited the vehicle I was so visibly shaken by the event that a nice lady who witnessed the accident came and gave me a hug. It was actually comforting.”
Instances like these occur far too often, according to Barbara Harsha, Executive Director of Governor’s Highway Association (GHSA). In her opinion, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure complete safety. “Parents have a huge responsibility to ensure safe teen driving behavior. States can facilitate this by providing innovative programs that bring parents and teens together around this issue.”
Above: See a video of the aftermath of Vahid’s crash