Guest Author - Gwenn Schurgin O´Keeffe, M.D. , F.A.A.P.

A 17 year-old came into the ER recently after a motor vehicle accident complaining about back pain. She was sitting in the front passenger’s seat and was wearing her seat belt. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt. Their car was rear-ended while making a turn. Both teens were thrown about a bit and my patient’s head did hit the side window. I commented that her friend was lucky – not wearing a seat belt he could have been much more seriously injured. She replied: “He’s such a good driver and we were only going a few blocks to school.” The fact that the accident occurred while only going a few blocks to school escaped her at the moment. I relayed a few true stories about teens killed recently in car accidents – all due to speed, inexperience, driving while drunk, or all of the above. She looked at me silent and stunned then said: “I guess we were lucky”.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times this type of encounter is replayed in the ER each week. Teen driving accidents are so common that they have impacted not only how teens learn to drive to day but the Law itself. In 1998, Massachusetts passed the Graduated License Law, and has been joined by many other states that have enacted similar laws.

Why the need for a Law? Teens just don’t understand how vulnerable they truly are and can’t always look at the facts accurately. That is one of the reasons teens are involved in so many accidents – lack of judgment and inexperience. It is well known that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among teens. According to the American Automobile Association, 2/3 of teens killed or hurt in automobile accidents are in cars driven by other teens. Almost half of all teen auto accidents also occur between 9pm and 6am. What the Graduated License Law does is require more supervision and experience before teen drivers are set free on their own – it actually protects them from their teen urges by stretching out the learning process over a longer period of time with true adult supervision. The specifics are determined by each state but always include mandated seatbelt use, no alcohol, a certain amount of adult supervision and a specific duration of a “clean driving record”. There are also requirements for testing, including driver’s education courses.

Keep in mind that just because a teen is old enough by Law to get a learner’s permit, they do need your permission. If you have concerns about your teenager’s maturity, judgment or any medical conditions that could affect driving, hold off on having them get their license.

Statistics show that the law really does work. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, 46% of 16 year-old drivers were in serious accidents in 1997 – the year before the Law went into effect. In 1999, one year after the Law kicked in, that number was decreased to 42%.

Even a simple fender bender can cause major back and neck pain, head injuries, cuts – big and small, and broken bones. Paramedics and police on the scene can help you determine if a visit to the nearest ER is needed. When in doubt, call your doctor or go to the ER to get checked out – better safe than sorry!

The best way we can teach our kids how to be safe drivers is to be safe drivers ourselves – including not drinking and driving or using cell-phones while driving. If you are safe, chances are your kids will want to be, too. Here’s to years of safe driving for all of you.