In the drivers seat

Driver education is extremely important in reducing the number of driving related deaths, especially with teen drivers. Understanding the basic traffic laws and regulations as well as seeing the results of distracted driving should be engrained in teenagers prior to them taking the wheel.

Teen drunk driving continues to be a problem. I have seen it several times when friends have been drinking and they start walking to their cars to drive home. I always tell them that they are not only putting their lives in danger but also anyone else out on the road. I feel as a teen, there is a lot of peer pressure to go out with your friends and to drink. I have always told my friends that I would not drink and drive. I have become their designated driver. There have been a few new rules implemented but more can be done to reduce the numbers. Unfortunately, it seems that teen drinking is starting at a younger age. Education about the dangers of drinking and driving should start in middle school and the schools should have the parents attend the presentation.

In order to help lower drunk driving among teens, the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) should mandate a breathalyzer ignition interlock be installed on all vehicles for any driver under 21. The DMV can charge the driver a fee for the tool and return a portion of that fee when it is turned back in when they turn 21. The DMV can introduce a bill to create a new law and gain support from senators in Montana and/or other states that have the highest number of drunk drivers. This would show the citizens in that state or states that they are addressing the teen drunk driving deaths. I think this in turn would start lowering the adult drunk driving deaths because it would be teaching the younger drivers not to drink and drive.

I feel the parents of teens will back this law and contact their representatives to vote for this bill. I also think insurance companies and law enforcement officers will support this bill. Once the bill has passed and is voted into law, then the states could allot a portion of their budget to purchase these tools and issue them to the DMVs around their state based on population and teen drunk driving statistics. These tools would need to be tracked and the state can bill a driver the total cost of the tool if it is not returned within 30 days of turning 21.

The long term emotional and financial gains from implementing this program will be returned repeatedly as the years pass. This will save the state, county and city police officers time and money since they will not be responding to as many drunk driving calls. This will also save insurance copies a lot of money on claim payouts from property damage and wrecks. Also, the parents will not have to go through the heart break of losing a child that was driving drunk or having a child sentenced to prison for killing someone behind the wheel. Breathalyzers have been saving lives and I feel issuing them to teen drivers is the next step in helping save lives and educating future generations on the dangers of drinking and driving.

I have experienced a wreck myself. I had two friends in the car with me. We were leaving work and they wanted me to do a burn out. I did a burn out and started speeding and lost control of my car. I ended up crashing into one car that got pushed into another vehicle on a car dealership lot. Both cars were totaled. I was on my aunt’s insurance, and they dropped me as a driver under her insurance. It also raised the cost for her insurance. I have become more resistant to peer pressure and have learned to control my vehicle better. I think teenagers should also have additional education on peer pressure and be educated on the financial costs of wrecking including the impact on getting insurance coverage after a wreck. The DMV could add questions to the current driving test. There could be sections on distracted driving, drunk driving, wrecking, and financial and emotional impacts of these items. It is very important to start educating kids on safe driving. I believe that starting this education in middle school will help positively impact future drivers and it could help reduce the number of deaths from distracted and drunk driving.