Teen driving danger
According to MoDOT, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young adults ages 15 to 20 years old. In Missouri, 70% of teens killed in car accidents were not wearing their seat belts.
After a teenager died in a rollover accident on Saturday, ABC 17 News wanted to find out what dangers teenagers face while behind the wheel.
According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, teens face the same distractions as drivers who have been driving for 30 years. But they have a lot less experience and knowledge on how to deal with and handle the distractions.
BCSD gave the example of changing a tape or CD while driving 10 years ago, to people and teens having small computers in their hands now.
In Missouri, teenagers applying for a driver’s license need to first have a learner’s permit and complete a number of hours training behind the wheel. After that is the intermediate license. In the first six months of that license, the teens can only have one other passenger under the age of 19 with them outside of immediate family. After the first six months, they can have up to three passengers under 19 years old. The next step is an Under-21 Full Driver License they can get at 18 years old.
Teens not wearing seat belts is another large problem according to law enforcement. For adults, not wearing a seat belt is a secondary violation. But it is required for anyone under the age of 18 to wear a seat belt.A trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol says it is the most common violation for teen drivers with the intermediate license. A MoDOT survey in 2015 showed 68% of teens questioned say they wear their seat belt all the time. The national average is 87%. Missouri has 19 schools with a seat belt use rate of under 50%.
