Utah must improve teen driver license program

Utah's graduated driver license laws appear to me to be the products of compromise. For instance, new drivers may not transport teen passengers for the first six months they have a license. If a licensed adult driver is in the front seat, a new teen driver may transport family members or friends.

One exemption permits new drivers to go to and from school and school activities, church and agricultural-related work. The new driver must have a permission note from a parent or guardian.

This part of the law baffles me. A note from a parent is no substitute for behind-the-wheel driving experience. Are we to believe teens will drive more safely if they're coming home from play practice or church than they would otherwise? Perhaps some parents can stomach the idea of an inexperienced driver ferrying their children about town. It gives me a bellyache just thinking about it.

If anything, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study, which was published online in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention, should give parents pause. Lead researcher Bruce Simons-Morton told the Washington Post that the study showed that parents are well-advised to be extra-vigilant when their teenage children are driving with other teenagers in the car. What he's saying is, parents shouldn't be so quick to sign a permission slip.

Utah has made progress in this area, but there's considerable room for improvement. Why the hesitation to implement true graduated privileges? Let's give inexperienced drivers every opportunity to survive the teen years by requiring them to advance through certain steps to ensure they become safe drivers. After all, we'll be sharing the road with them for decades to come.

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Marjorie Cortez is a Deseret Morning News editorial writer. E-mail her at marjorie@desnews.com.