PHILADELPHIA, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Researchers at The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) support the comprehensive,
evidence-based recommendations released today by the New Jersey Teen Driver
Study Commission. If adopted into policy, these recommendations will help
to reduce the number one killer of teens: motor vehicle crash injury.
"The commission's recommendations are right in line with the most
current research in the field of teen driving," said Flaura Winston, M.D.,
Ph.D., Co-Scientific Director of CHOP's Center for Injury Research and
Prevention and Principal Investigator of the hospital's Young Driver
Research Initiative. "The research we are conducting with State Farm
supports many of the same conclusions concerning graduated driver licensing
[GDL], driver education and training, and parents' crucial role in
modeling, teaching and monitoring their teens' driving."
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia supports New Jersey in its
efforts to lead the charge in setting policies that will reduce the number
one killer of teens: crashes.
CHOP researchers recommend other states, including Pennsylvania, adapt
their approach to GDL and driver education from New Jersey Commission's
recommendations.
In particular, these recommendations have already proven effective in
other states. No state however has adopted all of these recommendations:
Nighttime restrictions:
-- Placing a limit on unsupervised driving at night will remove teen
drivers from proven dangerous situations. More than half of all fatal
nighttime crashes involving teens occur from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Passenger restrictions:
-- Limiting the number of passengers under age 18 will remove teen
drivers from proven dangerous situations. Fatal crash risk increases
exponentially with each additional teen passenger.
Primary seat belt laws:
-- Closing loopholes in restraint laws to require seat belt use in
every seating position will save lives.
-- Of all age groups, teen drivers are the least likely to use seat
belts. In 2005, two-thirds of teen drivers and passengers killed in crashes
were not wearing seat belts.
Mandatory 50 hours of supervised driving practice:
-- The Commission's recommendations to extend the length of the permit
phase and establish a framework for sufficient behind-the-wheel training
are well founded.
-- Research demonstrates that lots of practice under varied conditions
is protective for novice drivers. 50 hours of supervised driving is
considered a minimum by experts.
Parental Involvement:
-- Parents need to understand their role through the driver training
phase, all the way through their teens' first years of independent driving.
They need the right tools to keep their teens safe.
-- Teens rely on parents to help them make safe decisions. Parent
orientation and frequent contact with a driving instructor are great ways
to stay informed and engaged in the learning process.
Funding and access to driver education:
-- The Commission should be commended for recognizing that funding and
access to driver education and training must be preserved.
-- Work should be done to determine effective best practices for
teaching new drivers and how to best incorporate them into training
programs.
School start times:
-- By recommending that schools implement later start times, the
commission also addresses the commonly overlooked problem of drowsy driving
among teens, a major cause of crashes.
Through a groundbreaking teen driving research partnership, CHOP and
State Farm Insurance Companies are working to develop effective
interventions to dramatically reduce teen crashes nationally.
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the
nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to
providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric
health care professionals and pioneering major research initiatives,
Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited
children worldwide.
Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country,
ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its
unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the
430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and
adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Related links:
http://www.chop.edu
CONTACT:
Dana Mortensen of The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia, +1-267-426-6092, mortensen@email.chop.edu
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