Auto deaths cut in half by tougher teen driving laws

While some suburban teens and parents grumbled about them at first, stricter teen driving laws that went into effect nearly three years ago have helped cut teen auto deaths in half.

There were 71 teen driving deaths in 2009, compared to 146 in 2007, according to Illinois State Police statistics.

The stricter version of the Illinois Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program, which went into effect in 2008, restricted teens from driving after 11 p.m. on weekends and prohibited them from having more than one passenger in the car.

It also required teens to have a driver's permit for nine months so they can practice driving in different weather conditions and to spend 50 hours behind the wheel with a parent, including 10 hours of nighttime driving.

“The nine-month permit had a big impact, because it used to be three months. They could, conceivably, have practiced driving only in the summer, said Dave Druker, spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state's office, which spearheaded the program.

One reason the laws were so effective was so many state agencies got behind them, as did most parents and driver's education teachers, Druker said.

While the decrease in Illinois' teen auto fatalities is impressive, the numbers are a bit misleading, said Dr. Robert Foss, director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers at the University of North Carolina, where the GDL program originated.

Historically, accident numbers decrease when gas prices are high or the economy is bad. So Foss said it's likely the recession contributed to the reduced number of teen deaths in Illinois.

“This has been piggybacked on top of the other things that always reduces crashes, and that's a recession, he said. “There's less driving and less recreational driving during a recession.

But Foss is a big advocate of GDL programs and said they've reduced teen deaths across the country. They allow teens to get more experience behind the wheel during their first years on the road, and minimize crash risks by limiting the most dangerous conditions for teen drivers: driving at night, and with multiple passengers in the car.

“It's kind of the way we teach our kids to swim. We don't give them a test and say, ‘OK, you passed. Go for it.' It takes a while, Foss said. “They learn from experience. As they learn, we feel more comfortable about backing away.

What Foss likes best about the GDL program is that it takes into account the social and behavioral science of teenagers, rather than just increasing penalties for their mistakes.

While some parents and teens balked at the bigger time commitment involved and the stricter limits, Foss believes they understood the logic behind the laws.

“We have interviewed tens of thousands of parents, and a few thousand teenagers about these issues. The overwhelming sentiment of parents is that they loved this system, Foss said. “They realize this just makes good, solid sense.

This week, Secretary of State Jesse White said he plans to reconvene the task force overseeing the GDL program and have it analyze the data and recommend changes or enhancements.

“I want the number (of deaths) to be zero, White said. “My goal is to keep the roads as safe as ever.

Laws: Recession probably also contributed to fewer deaths, official says