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Health & Fitness

18 and Licensed, But Still at Risk

Nothing can substitute for time and maturity when it comes to helping teens -- even fully licensed teens -- continue to gain skill behind the wheel.

Last week our one and only child turned 18.  Where did the years go and wasn’t it only yesterday that he was learning to drive?  Then again he’s still learning to drive.  Despite visiting the nearest Motor Vehicle Commission office the day after celebrating this milestone birthday to have the restrictions removed from his driver license, he’s still a driver in training.  

Yes, he completed the permit (supervised driving) and probationary phases (unsupervised but restricted driving) of New Jersey’s graduated driver license program.  In fact, he held his permit six months longer than required by law.  But just because he has met these minimum standards doesn’t mean he’s now a good or experienced driver.  That will only come with time and maturity. 

Time is important.  It can literally take three to five years for a novice to be exposed to the myriad of driving situations he’ll encounter on the road.  Building the muscle memory needed to help a driver react quickly and appropriately in a variety of situation takes time.  That’s why throughout the probationary phase my husband and I sought out opportunities to continue to drive with our son.  In fact, just yesterday he did all the driving as the two of us went from store to store purchasing items for his first year of college.  He’ll also take the wheel later this week as we drive nearly six hours north to move him into school.   

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As for maturity, the human brain doesn’t fully develop until the early to mid-twenties, particularly the prefrontal cortex where impulse inhibition, decision making and judgment are centered.  Which means that while a teen may look physically ready to drive, that doesn’t mean he’s emotionally up to the task. Quite frankly our son has looked older than his age since about 13, but his lack of maturity was and remains evident today.   

And that leads me to my final point. Driving isn’t just about being able to competently and tactically operate a vehicle (e.g., brake/turn smoothly, pass another vehicle).  It also requires what Dr. Russell Barkley, a noted clinical psychiatrist and pediatrician, deems the third and final level of the driving hierarchy -- strategically skilled.  In other words, is he able to think critically at all times about what he’s doing when and even before he gets behind the wheel?  

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For those of you who may be thinking, she’s one of those parents who can’t let go, let me offer these sobering statistics.  According to the New Jersey State Police, between 2004 and 2012, 76 percent of the 803 teen drivers involved in fatal car crashes in New Jersey were 18 to 20 years of age.  (New Jersey defines a teen driver as 16-20 years of age.) And of the 312 teen drivers who died in those crashes, 79 percent were 18 to 20.  

Our son has grown up a lot and his driving skills have improved tremendously since he first took to the wheel more than two years ago, but he’s still got a long way to go.  So we’ll stay involved.  We’ll require him to check in with us before he runs out the door with keys in hand the first day he’s home for Thanksgiving break (one of the deadliest times on the road for teen drivers).  We’ll ask him to run errands with us so we can keep tabs on his driving and we’ll tell him over and over again to be careful.  

Yes, he’s 18 and a basic or unrestricted driver license holder, but as his parents it’s our job to ensure he survives his most dangerous driving years.  And those years aren't over yet.      

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