Teen Driver Safety

Motor vehicle crashes cause 48% of all teen deaths in Iowa.

In the past five years, 162 Iowa teen drivers, ages 14-17, have lost their lives in crashes (CDC, 2009). To reduce these tragic losses, we must support young drivers as they learn, and give them appropriate guidance in preparation for the complexities of driving. By maximizing experience and minimizing risks while this experience is gained, we protect teens while they are learning and produce safer drivers in the long-run.

Research has shown that teen driver crashes can be reduced by improving the structure of driver licensing systems. Graduated Driver Licensing, or GDL, is an approach that allows young drivers to gain experience while minimizing risks to themselves and others with whom they share the road.

National and state evaluations, as well as local data, suggest the most influential changes we can make to improve Iowa's current GDL system are:
Instruction Permit
* Extend the time required for teens to hold an instruction permit to 12 months. (Current system requires only 6 months.)
Intermediate License (First 12 months of licensure)
* Limit passengers to no more than one non-family member under the age of 21. (Current GDL limits passengers to the number of seat belts in the vehicle.)
* Passenger limitation for the first 6 months of the intermediate license.  No more than 1 non-family member passenger under the age of 21. (Minimize Risks)

Click to view bill SF 184 * * * * * Click here to find your local senator - ask for his/her support on this issue.

For more information about the GDL visit www.blankchildrens.org/graduated-driver-licensing.aspx
 

Iowa:
Governor Culver signed into law on April 1st, House File 2456. HF 2456 addresses distracted driving.

The legislation bans text messaging for all drivers and prohibits teens with restricted licenses from using all handheld electronic devices while behind the wheel. (may be used when at a complete stop and pulled over - off the roadway)

HF 2456 ended up as a compromise between the House and Senate that made enforcement of the adult texting law secondary, which means that law enforcement personnel need another reason to stop violators before writing the citation.

Teen offenders (14 - 18) can be pulled over and cited for violations without other cause. Citations may result in a $30 fine with fines up to $1,000 for causing a serious accident while texting.

This law nullifies any local ordinances and began on July 1, 2010, with a one-year warning (education) period.

Illinois:
In January 2010, Illinois joined 18 other states with laws prohibiting the composition or reading of text messages, instant messages or emails while driving. The law pertains to PDAs, portable computers such as laptops and cell phones. GPS devices are not included in the legislation.

Secretary of State spokesman Dave Drucker said police have the ability to subpoena phone records following serious accidents to determine if drivers were sending or receiving text messages at the time of the accident.

Drivers should be aware that police watch for signs of distracted driving such as weaving and erratic speed control. They move in closer to determine the cause for the reckless driving and act accordingly. Methods similar to those used for identifying drunk drivers are employed as well.

Another change on the Illinois roadways was the ban of handheld devices while travelling through construction or school zones. Only hands-free devices are legal in these areas.

Watch this video about real life accounts of accidents resulting
in serious injuries and death from texting while driving.
 

For the last eight months, young drivers around Iowa have been logging on to
www.sweetridecontest.com to learn about Iowa's updated motor vehicle laws applicable to teens, including illegal use of handheld devices while driving and required use of seat belts in all seating positions. After watching an educational video and successfully completing a short quiz, teens could register to win a car courtesy of Charles Gabus Ford.On March 29, 17-year-old Nico Luerkens, a senior at Cedar Rapids Xavier High School, was randomly selected from 4,103 entries of drivers ages 14-18 who watched the safety video on the website and then answered all 12 questions correctly. Click here for the list of the questions.

Nico and his mother, Alicia, will be awarded the keys to the vehicle at a news conference May 4 at 2:30 p.m. at Charles Gabus Ford, 4545 Merle Hay Road, in Des Moines.

The contest was promoted on KDSM- Fox 17, Facebook and Twitter, at Iowa high schools, and information was also published in the programs of Iowa high school athletic events. Iowa-Illinois Safety Council has also had the contest available on the IISC website since November 2010 on a special "Teen Driver Safety" page to help promote teen driving safety. These nontraditional means of reaching Iowa's younger drivers were successful as more than 16,500 unique visitors logged on the website from August 2010 to March 2011, and more than 45,627 views of the safety video were recorded. For additional information concerning the reason for the contest, desired outcomes, etc, please click here to review the press kit.

The Sweet Ride on the Safe Side contest was sponsored by: