Does Drivers Ed Actually Improve Driver Safety?
Yes. While California’s driver ed requirements are focused on teaching teens to drive, studies have shown that motorists who take driver education cause fewer accidents.
Teenagers are commonly reported as the most dangerous motorists on the road, and it can be argued that every bit of education and every mile of supervised driving helps create a safer driver.
California Driver Ed Courses and Driver Safety
Teen drivers in California can apply for an instructional permit (learner’s permit) at 15 ½ years old. But there are some important steps they’ll need to take before they are awarded a learner’s permit.
They’ll need 30 hours of driver ed lessons either at a driving school or through an approved course at their high schools. These courses are in place to “drive” home the traffic laws, road safety, and driver responsibilities teens are expected to observe. One of the focuses is definitely on how to avoid accidents.
New drivers must also complete at least six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a professional driving instructor. All of these hours must be logged at the wheel where common situations that cause accidents for drivers of any age are practiced.
Instructors concentrate on the rights-of-way for intersections. That includes how to make left turns safely. Another critical lesson that teens will learn is how to safely navigate California freeways.
Check out Maison Law’s Ultimate Guide to California Driver Ed Requirements for more information on what’s needed to earn an instructional permit.
California Driver Education Effectiveness
Teens have earned a bad reputation for their driving, but most of us begin our motoring careers when were young. Teens buckle up with little experience dealing with California driving traffic pressures. They also have still-forming brains that may not always make the safest decisions.
But driver education is one way to give them the best chance of making it into their twenties without causing a major accident. A study by University of Nebraska researchers shows that driver ed requirements lead to safer roads.
The eight-year study found that young drivers who had not completed driver ed are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket. They are also 16% more likely to have an accident. The data seems to demonstrate that teens who get those traffic codes hammered home in a classroom setting know better what to do when they take to the streets.
Teen Driving Hazards in California
Teen drivers take to the road with little experience and with some temptations that can be hard to resist for a young mind.
According to the California Highway Patrol, California teen motor vehicle fatalities (age 15-19) increased from 58 in 2019 to 73 tragic cases in 2020.
Nationally, transportation officials report that in 2019 there were 2,042 people killed in collisions involving teen drivers. In a recent year, they report that 15 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system.
Besides making errors in judgment with alcohol, young drivers are more prone to hit the gas. Teen drivers may be speeding for the thrills or to impress a friend. They could speed simply because they aren’t paying attention to the speedometer.
While driver ed courses are important to draw the young driver’s attention to these threats, transportation experts believe parents can be the biggest influencers on teen choices while behind the wheel. Beyond driver education, parents and guardians must use their influence to educate their teen drivers about the dangers they face.
Teen Distracted Driving Dangers
One of the biggest lessons driver ed courses can teach are about the dangers of cell phone use in the driver’s seat. Teen drivers have a hard time keeping their eyes off those screens to check texts from friends or to search for the hottest songs just out.
Driver education teachers will stress California’s cell phone use vehicle codes that are even stricter for young motorists. In California, drivers must never hold a cell phone. They can only use wireless functions or voice commands.
For minors (under the age of 18) the law prohibits the use of cell phones at all times, even with Bluetooth functions engaged. The only exception would be in an emergency to contact the police, fire, or medical personnel.
A word for Teen Drivers in California Accidents…
Even teens who have completed every course and gotten in plenty of practice can make mistakes on the road. Yet, not every car accident involving a young driver is a teen driver’s fault.
Teens can suffer serious injuries in a collision caused by a careless adult driver. Car insurance companies may still try to blame your teen motorists for any accidents, but you don’t have to accept that unfair treatment.
Talk to a California Teen Driving Accident Lawyer with Maison Law in a free consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out how to fight back against unfair accusations. You’ll also find out how much an injury in an accident is worth, and what your child should earn in compensation after a major crash.
