A study shows car crashes are the leading cause of death among youth. Findings show a child's risk for accidents doubles when riding with a teen driver. Adding to the problem, riders were found not wearing their seatbelts. Have you notice an increase in car crashes among teens in your area?
This issue could bring up the idea of changing driving laws that apply to teens (age to get a permit, license). It would be interesting to take a survey of how many students have gotten in car crashes since they've had their license.
In
Al's Morning Meeting, Poynter's Al Tompkins writes:
From the story:
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for
tweens and teens, and a new study outlines some of the most dangerous
circumstances: riding unbuckled with new teen drivers on high-speed
roads.
These were the three biggest risk factors contributing to car crash deaths for passengers aged 8 to 17, the study found.
While
young drivers have higher chances of dying, the six-year study focused
on nearly 10,000 children passengers who were killed in car crashes.
More than half -- 54 percent -- were riding with a teen driver. Drivers
younger than 16 were the most dangerous.
