State Farm supports bill restricting teen drivers' license

As a teenager he thought it was fun at the time.

Looking back though, he realizes he just as easily could have spun out and flipped over or lost his life had he hit the fence at a high rate of speed.

But, like a lot of first time teenage drivers, he lacked driving experience and didn't understand that speed can kill. He said he wasn't mature enough at that time to realize what he was doing was reckless and potentially fatal.

"I bet most of us could tell some kind of story on ourselves about something that happened either in a car we were in or driving that would underline the fact that teenagers take chances," Stephenson said.

Stephenson, who is the spokesman for State Farm Insurance, told the Trumann Rotary Club that automobile crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, especially in Arkansas.

One to two people die each week in Arkansas in an auto crash involving a teen drive, Stephenson said, making teenagers the most expensive group of drivers to insure.

Statistics show that teenagers 16-19 have four times as many accidents as adults 25-69. What's more, 16 year-old boys have five times as many auto accidents as 45 year old men.

About 7,000 teenagers die each year due to auto fatalities.

"We know teen driving is risky," Stephenson said. "Most people though are shocked to hear that Arkansas has the sixth highest teen crash fatality rate in the country," Stephenson said. "It works out to an average of about one every six days in Arkansas."

Stephenson pointed to a number of tragic recent examples in our own back yard: Jennifer Lane, 15, of Mountain Home, died from injuries sustained when she lost control of the 2001 Oldsmobile she was driving on Hwy. 201 three miles south of Mountain Home. Her passenger, Jasmine Johns, 16, was in serious condition as a result of being thrown from the vehicle.

In November, John Michael Fortner, 17, of Cabot died in a one car crash on Greystone Blvd. when he lost control of his SUV, overcorrected, and rolled over.

Adam Smith, 17, struck a 2005 Honda, killing the driver and passenger when the 2005 Nissan he was driving crossed the center line on Hwy. 79 near Stuttgart.

Closer to home, Colton Carr, 17, and Terry Huckabay, 18, of Paragould were killed last December when their pickup was struck by a train on County Road 815 in Greene County. Police speculate they either didn't stop for the sign at the railroad crossing or tried to beat the train.

Stephenson said teens don't understand the risks involved when they get behind the wheel of a car and make bad decisions.

Even more shocking is the fact that the death rate for 16-17 year-old drivers increases with each additional passenger.

"Teens are not only a danger to themselves and their passengers, but to others," Stephenson said.

Stephenson said Arkansas is one of only nine states which allows a person age 14 to get a drivers license.

In November, the Emergency Nurses Association Scorecard on Traffic Safety ranked Arkansas 50th in traffic safety laws.

But there are some things Arkansas can do to reduce the risk for teenage drivers.

Stephenson said State Sen. Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett is introducing legislation this week to create graduated driver licensing.

Graduated driver licensing allows teenagers to get their drivers license at age 16, but places certain restrictions on them during their first year on the road.

Restrictions include a curfew limiting the hours a teen driver can operate on the roadways to 11 p.m. and limiting the number of passengers to one without an adult present.

Currently, 45 states have limits on night time driving for teens. Thirty-nine states have adopted a passenger limit for teen drivers when no adult is present.

And 47 states have either a limit on nighttime driving or on passengers or both.

"Arkansas is one of only three states that do not," Stephenson said.

Stephenson said the first six months after turning 16 is statistically the most dangerous time for teenagers.

The chances of being in an auto accident during those first six months where teens are free to drive by themselves is 20 times higher than adults, he said.

Stephenson said putting restrictions on teen drivers makes sense because it removes some of the high risk factors during their first year of driving until they get more experience behind the wheel.

"As parents we train our kids on what to eat. We tell them they need to eat fruits and vegetables and back off sugar," Stephenson said. "We do all these things to help them get the right start. But somehow or another in our state we have determined when they are 16 we are just going to let them go because my kid is not going to have an accident. I don't think my parents ever knew I went to the rodeo grounds and ran barrels.

"Let's just be honest about this. I think we what we have done as a state as an adult population is we have let convenience trump safety. We're one of the worst. Ask anyone. Were you as mature as you are now at 16? And you know the answer."

States with nighttime driving restrictions show a 40 to 60 percent reduction in crashes during restricted hours, he said.

Teens are also 500 percent more likely to be in an accident when multiple passengers are in the car.

"Why do 39 states have limits on first year drivers and we don't? Stephenson asks. "What do they know that we don't know? Do those parents love their children more than we do? Well, no, I don't think so. So I ask, well then what are we waiting for? We have the sixth highest teen death rate in the country. I submit to you we can do better."

Stephenson said adopting graduated driver licensing really boils down to a matter of public safety.

"We impose speed limits on ourselves. Why do we do this? Public safety," Stephenson said. "Same thing with alcohol. As a society we say let's limit what we drink to (a .08 blood alcohol level). Beyond that (level)is illegal and you are going to get a fine or arrested or worse. Why? Public safety.

"Since we know 16 year olds are four to five times more likely to be in accidents anyway, doesn't it just make sense?"

The bill last year passed in the Senate but failed in the House.

Stephenson urges residents to call their local representative to voice their support for the bill.

"We know graduated drivers licenses reduces fatalities," Stephenson said. "It's pretty cheap compared to a bad wreck."