Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
There are five things that a state needs to help to reduce the risks of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere among teenage drivers.
Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that if all states were to enact just five components then approximately 500 young lives could be spared and nearly 10,000 crashes could be prevented.
So, what are the five components? They’re teen passenger limitations, drivers licensing age limitations, permit age limitations, specific practice driving hours and nighttime driving limitations.
To see just how safe each state is and how their GDL programs are working out, officials with the IIHS designed an online calculator. Right now, the best provisions include keeping drivers away from a permit license until they’re 16-years-old. Luckily, the state of Massachusetts is one of the states that already has this law in effect. It’s also recommended that these young drivers complete at least 65 hours of supervised driving time, that they don’t drive after 8:00 p.m. and that all teen passengers are banned until a driver gets an unrestricted license.
Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that these young drivers are not only allowed to get their learner’s permit once they’re 16-years-old, but they’re also required to keep all teen passengers out of the vehicle until they receive their unrestricted license. Unfortunately, our state doesn’t require that these young drivers complete 65 hours of supervised driving time. We only require a minimum of 40 hours. We didn’t pass the test for the nighttime driving restrictions either. We allow our young drivers to be out on the road until 12:30 a.m. and we only monitor their teen passengers during their first six months on the road.
“There’s room for improvement across the board, and states could see immediate reductions in fatal crashes and collision claims as soon as the beefed-up provisions are in force,” said says Anne McCartt with the IIHS.
GDL laws have come a long way since they were launched in the U.S. Back in the 1990s, states started grabbing hold to these laws. By just 2000, all of the states except for nine had some form of a GDL program. Unfortunately, these programs vary from state or state because there is still no nationwide GDL program.
Since 2000, the IIHS has been rating states and their GDL programs to try to help to encourage even stricter ones.
According to McCartt, states don’t have to adopt each and every single one of these components to realize the benefits of them. States can just adopt one or two and they’ll realize the payoff. She still encourages all states to adopt all five provisions.
The IIHS’s safety calculator estimates reflect the relative importance of each safety provision and its ability to reduce the number of teen car accidents in each state with the particular GDL law.
Boston Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman offers free and confidential consultations to discuss the rights and the cases of accident victims and their families. Call 877-617-5333 today to set up your appointment today.
More Blog Entries:
Summer: Highest Risks for Teen Car Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, May 29, 2012
Car Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere in MA Give Us Top Ranking!, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, May 27, 2012