Proposed National Teen Driving Rules Shown to Save Lives and Money

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Statistics show that 16-year-olds are six times more likely to get in an auto accident than drivers over 30 years old. The Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act (STANDUP) plans to decrease deaths and injuries by setting national teen driving laws for all new teen drivers. Many states already have some form of graduated driver licensing laws, but standardization across the country is shown to save lives and money, say the STANDUP sponsors.

“Over the last five years alone, over 40,000 teens have died in motor vehicle crashes and hundreds of thousands more have suffered debilitating injuries,” said Jackie Gillan, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “The economic and emotional costs for parents, family and friends are unacceptable and unnecessary. Studies show that the annual cost of teen crashes is over $30 billion. We could use that money to pay the four year tuition of over a million teens at a four year public university. That’s equal to the entire teen population in the State of Illinois. We can’t afford the cost or the horrific loss of so many young lives any longer. It’s time for action.”

When signed into law, STANDUP will require all states to comply in order to obtain federal highway construction program funds and grants. Noncompliant state’s monies would go to states that did adhere to the act. U.S. Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-IL) is one of the act’s sponsors and even though Illinois complies with many of the proposed changes, Hultgren knows first-hand the importance of safe teen driving, with a 17-year-old in the household. The biggest change for Illinois teen drivers will be to raise the entry age for a learner’s permit from age 15 to age 16.

“Teens face a lot of distractions when driving,” said Chicago personal injury lawyer and SuperLawyer Paul A. Greenberg, Esq. “These graduated rules will go a long way to protecting teen drivers and those around them.”

The STANDUP regulations would limit nighttime driving, ban cell phone use unless an emergency happens, and restrict the number of teen passengers in a vehicle. Teen drivers would not be eligible for an unrestricted license until they reach age 18. “Teen driving crashes are the leading cause of death for young adults and represent a public health crisis,” said Dr. Kyran Quinlan, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. “But we already have a proven treatment for this epidemic that would prevent thousands of deaths and injuries every year: passing the STAND UP Act. This bill will assure that every new driver, no matter where he or she lives, will have the same training, the same laws, and the same protection. This bill will save lives.”

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg help victims of car accidents, whether caused by a teen driver or otherwise, and counsel their loved ones when a wrongful death occurs. They treat every case with compassion, tenacity, and skill to uphold their client’s rights to fair compensation. Their Chicago injury lawyers are also experts at successfully handling insurance companies and overcoming the legal challenges as clients work to heal their injuries and return to a normal life. To learn more, visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com or call 877-595-HURT (4878).