I remember when I first got my driver’s license when I was 16—the feeling of freedom and mobility that came with that rite of passage.  My parents were relieved they didn’t have to drive me around anymore.  But I was an awful driver, and sure enough, within a few months I had an accident.  Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt (and rest assured I am a better driver today!)  However, other teens have not been so lucky—and we are seeing more and more teen accidents on the road.  I believe the legislature has to take action to protect our teenagers and all our drivers.

According to the Governor’s office, 16 and 17-year Connecticut residents had 4,942 accidents last year (with 22 deaths in the last 15 months), and we have seen many such accidents in Shelton, Stratford, and Monroe.  We understand the dangers that teen drivers face.  Speeding and distraction are the two main reasons teens are “higher risk” drivers. Connecticut crash data for 2001-2006 show that most teen crashes occur between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and midnight.  When a teen is judged to be at fault, the most common reasons are following too closely, speeding, and being distracted by having other teens in the car.

Governor M. Jodi Rell last year convened a teen driving task force to come up with recommendations, and the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee has come out with several proposals.  Many of these bi-partisan ideas are well-thought out, and deserve to be passed.

I believe the answer to protecting teen drivers lies in two elements—education and enforcement.  More education for both teens and their parents will result in safer driving, and strict penalties for infractions will deter teens from dangerous behavior.

Education needs to extend to both teens and parents.  I support proposed legislation to require forty hours of road training (up from the current twenty).  More time in the car with a closely observing adult has been shown to result in decreased accident rates among teens.  Additionally, I support requiring parents to join their would-be teen drivers for a portion of their classroom training.  Many parents are not aware of the restrictions in Connecticut on teenage drivers—including the fact they cannot drive with non-family members or drive after midnight.  Attending two or three hours of classes with their children will help them better guide their teen’s driving habits.

Strict enforcement of driving laws for teens is the other element that will save lives.  I support suspensions of licenses for teens who break driving laws, ranging from short term to long term suspension depending on the severity of the offense.

Once licensed, teenagers caught violating any of the driving restrictions imposed on 16- and 17-year olds would risk having their licenses suspended for 48-hours, and being forced to bring Mom or Dad with them to get them back. They would have to be out from behind the wheel by 10:00 p.m., instead of by midnight as is required under existing state law.  And for the worst offenses—driving 20 miles over the speed limit, driving recklessly, racing, or driving drunk— teenagers should have their licenses suspended until they are 18 years old.

Connecticut should look to our neighbor to the north for a model of how to do this.  Massachusetts last year adopted a  “junior operator’s license” under which licenses are issued to teenagers between the ages of 16 ½ and 18 only after they have had a driver’s permit for at least six months and completed a rigorous training program.  Teenagers who violate the requirements of their junior operator’s licenses have their licenses suspended for a significant amount of time.

One proposal that I do not support is raising the driving age for everyone to 18.  I think that most 16 and 17-year olds are able to be responsible drivers, if properly educated.  I believe that raising the driving age for everyone would create a burden on parents and would not be fair to teens.  Instead, increased education and stricter penalties for infractions can decrease teen accident rates.

All of us have been teenagers before, and we know the excitement and challenges of that age.  Our job is to make sure that teenagers are safe as they make the transition from child to adult, and increasing education and enforcement for teen drivers will go a long way to saving lives and keeping our roads safe.

Dan Debicella is the State Senator representing Stratford, Shelton, Monroe, and Seymour.  If you have feedback for him or want to talk about the issues, he can be reached toll-free at (800) 842-1421 or by e-mail at dan.debicella@cga.ct.gov.