Bill would stall teen drivers

Study shows others at risk when youths are behind wheel

By Laura A. Bischoff and Joanne Huist Smith

Dayton Daily News

Seventeen-year-old Andrew Stroud and four friends piled into his 1990 Toyota Corolla on Wednesday at Kettering's Fairmont High School to go grab lunch after finishing their exams.

That kind of "everybody pile in" ride with a teen at the wheel would be an illegal one if legislation pending in the Ohio General Assembly becomes law.

"Our freedom to drive would be significantly decreased," Stroud said.

But roadway safety would be significantly increased, advocates for a bill to restrict teen drivers said.

More often than not, when a teenage d river is at the wheel in a fatal crash, it's other people who are killed, according to an analysis of federal data by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

As part of a national study, the foundation looked at fatal crashes in Ohio involving 15- to 17-year-old drivers between 1995 and 2004. It found that 36.5 percent of the time, the teen driver died. The rest of the time it was a passenger, pedestrian or someone in another car who was killed.

Ohio's statistics mirror the national numbers.

"Teenage drivers are even more deadly for others than they are for themselves," said Susan Pikrallidas, vice president of AAA public affairs.

The Ohio Conference of AAA Clubs and other members of the Ohio Teen Driver Coalition used the data — as well as a free lunch buffet table — to lobby lawmakers Wednesday to adopt more restrictions on teen drivers.

The pending legislation, sponsored by Rep. Tom Raga, R-Mason, and Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, would delay when drivers can get learning permits, probationary licenses and unrestricted licenses. And teens on probationary licenses would be prohibited from driving more than one non-relative passenger, as well as from driving without a parent between midnight and 6 a.m.

Advocates for the new bills say the restrictions will help reduce fatal and serious crashes involving young drivers.

While teens account for 7 percent of Ohio drivers, they are involved in 15 percent of all crashes, said Fred Stratmann, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Surprisingly, many Fairmont teens interviewed Wednesday support the proposed changes.

"A lot of people I know drive like total idiots. I think these would be great changes," said junior Eric Frow-Huff, 16.

Senior Megan Weirick, 17, agreed. "I think there are a lot of teenagers who shouldn't be driving."

Others said the changes would put an end to double dating or could mean an increase in cell phone use between friends who would caravan instead of carpool.

"You've got your license. You've got your friends, but you can't go anywhere with them," 10th grader Chelsea Jones said. "It's stupid."

Junior Melinda King, 17, said she believes a teen's ability to drive should be judged by his or her parents since they best know their driving abilities.

Fairmont parent Nanette Dolski, the mother of eight, including three who have driver's licenses and one who is learning, said readiness to get behind the wheel came at different times. Her kids had to be 16 before they were allowed to get their temporary permit, and two didn't drive until age 18. "We really like them to have a lot of time behind the wheel with us," she said.

Jim Schoenlein, principal of Fairmont, believes the changes are a great idea and should be expanded to ban cell phone use.

"I have a fifteen-and-three-quarter-year-old-son who is driving. That's a scary, scary thing. So far, he's run over two curbs and attempted to change lanes without checking the other lane for cars. It ages me," he said.

Contact Laura A. Bischoff at (614) 224-1624.