Rick Green Wants Those Pesky Kids Off the Roads

Teen drivers have come under increasing scrutiny and restrictions when it comes to their ability to drive. Many states restrict when teens can drive, limit who and how many people can be in the car for certain periods after the license is issued, among other restrictions. As a result of the laws teenage driving deaths are down 30 percent since 2007, which prompts Courant pundit Rick Green to proclaim, “The right policies and laws, backed by research, can change dangerous behavior.”

Unfortunately teenage driving deaths aren’t in decline because they’re getting better training and supervision, rather teens are bypassing getting a license because the new regulations make getting the license isn’t worth the increased price and hassle. The percentage of sixteen year-olds getting their licenses dropped ten percent (29% from 39%) while seventeen year-olds had a similar decline (57.9% down to 48.7%). So the laws aren’t actually making safer teen drivers, they’re just putting fewer on the road, and for Green that’s a good thing.

Sadly it’s not a good thing. For one, unlike the general feeling, not all teenager drivers are bad drivers. Teen drivers do account for a higher number of crashes than other driving groups, but onerous restrictions punish all teens, whether they deserve it or not. More importantly though, the restrictions just kick the can down the road. Instead of giving sixteen year-olds licenses two years before they head off to college and away from most parental supervision, many are now getting it much closer to when they leave for college. Thus we’re putting new teenage drivers out on the road with far less supervision and control, something that probably makes parents far more nervous than their sixteen year-old driving to school.

The restrictions also reduce teenage independence. Many teens who bypass getting their license because of the restrictions will also likely bypass getting a job because they’d either be unable to get their or the hassle of getting there would outweigh the money they earned. Not having a job in high school isn’t a black mark on someone’s permanent record, but it certainly causes teens to lose out on valuable experiences and reduces connections that can be useful when they apply for college or jobs while they’re there.

While the laws decrease independence, they increase the bias teen drivers face while they’re on the road. Teen drivers aren’t the only dangerous drivers, yet they’re the ones who get most of the attention. Teens can be pulled over and questioned for being out after a specific time at night, or for having people in the car. Even if the teenagers are following the law, a traffic stop could open them up for other problems. I once drove around in my parents’ car for two days without realizing there was a twelve pack of beer on the floor in the backseat. Who knows what would’ve happened if I had (legally) had someone else in the car and been pulled over by a cop.

States have every right to regulate who can and cannot drive, and I count myself among those who find some increased level of control over teenage drivers a reasonable thing. The issue arises when the control goes beyond sensible protections and moves towards burdensome government control. It’d be one thing if teenage driving deaths decreased because teens were making smarter decisions, instead we’re claiming victory through a de facto ban on teenage drivers. So yes Rick, the decline in teen driving deaths is a good thing, but it’s not a good thing that we’re railroading kids off the roads.