Should We Be Tougher On Teen Drivers?

[Guest]

Got this fowarded to me. I think it's a good idea. But why single out teens when there are so many adult idiots as well? Maybe this would straighten up their driving while they are "young and impressionable"?

Also add the kids talking on their cell phone with the ink still wet on the drivers license.

The Deerpark police department in Orange County has created a “Zero Tolerance Means Zero Chances†policy, which prohibits drivers 16-21 years old from taking a plea bargain if ticketed for a traffic violation. They must either plead guilty or go to trial. Some of the traffic violations targeted under the Deerpark policy include excessive speeding, frequent or unsafe lane changes, following too closely behind another vehicle, driving while intoxicated and failing to signal. When police catch teens driving in an unsafe manner, they hand them an information sheet about the zero tolerance policy along with the ticket. This policy was announced after the Deerpark police chief saw a young girl driving all over the road on her way home from a shopping trip. There have been a number of teenage traffic related deaths from schools in that locality.

Should Greenburgh impose a “Zero Tolerance Means Zero Chances†policy? If we do impose such a policy should the policy be similar to Deerpark’s or limited to driving while intoxicated?

What do you think?

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor

Edited June 22, 2006 by Commo

[Guest]

Excuse me while i rant - I firmly believe that local lawsa, if not state at the state level should aim to crackdown on wreckless teen driving. Now, critics will say everyone needs the hard lesson, not just teens. I disagree. Any emergency service personnel should be able to agree that the most horrific scenes they come upon often times are the result of wreckless, drug/alcohol induced teenage driving. If you don't believ me ask any insurance company and they will tell you the facts.

On to my second point. I am fed up with the lack of knwoledge young drivers have today. What ever happened to Driver's Ed??? Teens have stopped using signals, pass on the right, constantly tailgate and have no clue to the "right of way" rules. God, I sound like an old man...i'm still in my 20's (not for long).

In sum, I'm for any laws that put these ignorant, young and sometimes dangerous drivers in their place.

[27east 19]

The flip side...

Greenburgh Town Court is no doubt busier then Deerpark.Everybody will decide to plead not guilty and take their chances at trial. Wait until the Court calender clogs up and the judges begin to look to dismiss the ticket.

[Guest]

As a teen driver I say, YES crack down. No one wants to hear about their friends dying. I think drivers ed should be manditory. I took it and I'm glad I did.

We certainly do need more restrictions, it's very scary watching kids I know driving around recklessly.

Edited June 22, 2006 by KFD Kid26

[DaveTFD 0]

a good amount of teen drivers do take drivers ed/defensive driving/training courses to drive larger aparatus (fire trucks and ambulances) and those teens typically are good drivers. ime not opposed to harsher punishments for teen drivers but dont target them as a whole and generally say they are not good drivers.

offenses such as excessive speeding or frequent/improper lane change should be dealt with in a more serious manor because of the possible outcome of these actions.

i dissagree with SFD302 because everybody needs harsher punishment for traffic violations. its not just teens that drive like this! drive on 95 for 10 minutes and look at the people speeding by you at 90mph and try to look at their faces...they arent all kids.

bottom line: make drivers ed manditory for teens to make them better drivers, but also enforce a harsher penalty for traffic violations for everybody...not just teens

[Guest]

Dave,

I understand your feelings about everyone getting a stiffer penalty. I do agree with you. But, my point is that as a group, teens do get themselves into a lot more trouble than people above the age of 25. That's why insurance premiums are so much higher for teens (esp males). Now, I do not normally like to generalize but the numbers are over the top on this one. Accidents due to wreckless driving have been on the rise since the 90's. Wreckless includes racing, overtly speeding, crusising through red lights and stop signs, not obeying warning signs etc... Now, I don't know about you but I do not see too many 55 year old men drag racing at 2:00 am. Not to say it doesn't happen...believe me I've seen some crazy stuff but c'mon teens do this sort of stuff all the time. I have no problem making those same laws applicable to people of all ages but that would be a lot harder to get passed through legislation - all those drunk senators who drag race might oppose it.

[dadbo46 50]

Teens need more training and more experience before getting behind the wheel alone. A more restrictive driver's license is one of the answers. Statistics about teen crashes as compared to other segments of the population speak loudly about this.

[Guest CrotonFalls33]

As far as more restrictions on a license, I dont feel that is quite practical. The current restrictions IF properly enforced are more than adeqate. In addition adding restrictions would not teach young drivers much of anything except to avoid police when they go out for a drive. I feel the cheapest and possibly most effective thing to do is to make the drivers writen exam more difficult. With 20 questions that are all taken directly from practice books, its kind of an insult if you fail your permit exam. Making the exam longer and more encompassing might at least force new drivers to memorize more traffic laws. Will this make them better drivers? that im not sure about

[Guest]

I'm not going to lie, when I took that test a year ago (well almost a whole year, 5 days short of a year), it was the easiest thing I've ever taken.

From there it's 6 months, 20 hours of driving, and a 5 hour pre-licensing course before you can even think about getting your permit upped to a junior license.

After a junior you can either wait to turn 18 to become unrestricted, or, at least in NYS, take Drivers ED and get an unrestricted senior when you turn 17 (which is my plan of action this monday).

17 is young, I know, but I feel if you can act responsibly you should be rewarded.

[AndyC3J 190]

That is quite the touchy subject up here in this area. This year alone, more than a half-dozen kids have died in wrecks. A carload of them returning from a double-date at 1 AM, when the genius behind the wheel decides to pass five cars at once, on a two-lane road. Car at head of the line made a left in front of him. He hit that car, then a tree. In the days following the incident, the area residents made a huge uproar.......that the state, county, anyone who would listen, should take action to improve the ROAD, since IT killed 13 people in the last decade, many of them teens and young adults. Hmmmmm.............

More recently, another carload of kids coming home from an after-school shopping trip. Car careens across the median of I-84 and hits a tractor-trailer almost head on. Three dead, one airlifted to Westchester. All of the victims in both wrecks were either juniors or seniors in high school.

Definitely something needs to be done to educate people as to the dangers of reckless driving. Yes, I agree, it's not just the kids, but start when they're young and nip the bad habits in the bud before it's too late.

[cas2383 22]

I think all DMVs should crack down on poor drivers period.... many people not just teens are to blame for serious accidents everyday, who knows maybe with stiffer laws, continuing education and or more thorough driver ed programs the number of accidents will go down.

[EJS1810 7]

a good amount of teen drivers do take drivers ed/defensive driving/training courses to drive larger aparatus (fire trucks and ambulances) and those teens typically are good drivers.

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NO amount of driver training classes can prepare a teenager to drive fire apparatus. They do not have enough driving time to understand how to drive emergency vehicles. While there are some adults that also do not have the maturity to properly drive emergency vehicles there is no way that a new driver can properly handle the vehicles.