Current Driver’s Education: A Troubling Issue for America

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Recommended: Driving age discussed across nation car accidents leading cause of death for u.s teenagers by martha irvine ap national writer

Current Driver’s Education: A Troubling Issue for America From the March 2003 invasion of Iraq until September of 2006, about 2,600 American troops were killed in combat and war-related incidents (Wilson 18). Did you know during that same 41-month period, more than 22,000 teenagers, ages 15 to 19, died in traffic accidents on U.S. roads? (Wilson 18). That number has now escalated to approximately 4,500 soldiers and over 40,000 teens lost. Parents in the United States have relied on driver’s education and training to prepare their teens for the responsibility of driving. In fact, we rely too much on driver’s education. Recent studies have indicated that driver’s education, or DE, has failed to produce safe drivers. Even though the common form of driver’s education and training has been cited as ineffective, there are efforts being made around the country that have the ability to profoundly change driver education as we know it and prepare young drivers, create safer drivers, and ultimately save teen lives. Every year, thousands of teenagers receive their driver’s licenses and millions are driving on America’s roads. Ensuring their safety and the safety of others is crucial. 16 to 18 year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers in any other age group. Between 5,000 and 6,000 youth will die on our roads this year and another 300,000 will be seriously injured. America has many more young people die in traffic incidents than it does in military service, and yet there has been little political or public activity done to make this problem known to the nation. The history of driver’s education goes way back. The first known DE programs were developed between 1910 and 1920. However, it was not until the 1930s that formal courses were... ... middle of paper ... ...ews 1 Mar. 2010. EBSCO. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. Cox, Caroline. The Chronicle for Driver Education Professionals 57.1 (2009): 9. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. Gritzinger, Bob. “Driver Ed vs. Driver’s Edge.” AutoWeek. 4 Sept. 2006: 26. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. Lonero, Lawrence, comp. Novice Driver Education Model Curriculum Outline. Rep. AAA Foundation. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, comp. Evaluating Driver Education in America. Rep. No. 367. District Of Columbia: Preusser Research Group, 2009. U.S. Department of Transportation. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. “The Brutal Truth About Teen Driving.” JourneySafe. The Gillian Sabet Memorial Foundation Inc. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. Wilson, Kevin. “Back to School: Teenage Driving.” AutoWeek. 4 Sept. 2006: 18-20. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. Zuber, Kenneth. “Death at the Wheel.” AutoWeek. 4 Sept. 2006: 22. Web. 28 Apr. 2010.

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