| Connecticut governor Jodi Rell is expected to sign a bill with tougher laws for teen drivers. The bill rolls back the late-night curfew by one hour for drivers under 18 and doubles the amount of behind-the-wheel training teens will need to get a license. Dr. Phillip Brewer, medical director for student health services, believes the law will not significantly reduce accidents and deaths of teenage drivers. Brewer says, "While I applaud the efforts by Governor Rell and the legislature, I believe that the new teen driving law will be of limited use in reducing crashes and fatalities. At the root of the problem is the fact that Governor Rell announced at the beginning of the process that she would not consider raising the driving age from 16 to 17 or 18. This is unfortunate since it is the one measure that would be the most simple to administer and would have had the greatest impact. Furthermore, it is supported by 55 percent of the population in a poll which was conducted by the governor's office. "Instead, the bill contains a hodgepodge of half-measures which rely heavily on law enforcement to be effective. As we have seen with the cell phone law, unless there is buy-in from law enforcement, there will be widespread flouting of the law. In addition, some of the measures, such as the requirement for increased training, have never been shown to have an effect on subsequent crash and fatality rates. Police are not going to stop drivers at 11:01 p.m. to see if they are 'of age' to be out after curfew. "There is compelling evidence for raising the teen driving age. Sixteen-year-old drivers have by far the highest rate of fatalities per mile driven. That number drops off sharply in the 17-year-old group and again at age 18. Unfortunately, our politicians are reluctant to subject themselves to anticipated protests of teens and some parents and have opted instead to merely appear to act in favor of safer roads for teens and the rest of us. I predict that unless high gas prices reduce driving and crashes, we will be forced to revisit this topic within the next three years. Perhaps then the legislature and governor will be willing to do the right thing." To reach Brewer, call 203-582-8786 or e-mail phillip.brewer@quinnipiac.edu.
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