Texas Leads in Curbing Teen Driving Deaths

(CBS)  Each year, some 5,000 teens die on the nation's roadways, victims of inexperience and distraction.

But a report out today says the state of Texas is getting teens to drive more safely, by changing the way they're licensed, as CBS News correspondent Don Teague reports.

They are scenes repeated too often in America - memorials and tears for teen drivers killed in traffic accidents.

Among the major culprits are "texting, talking on the cell phone talking to their friends in the next seat turning their head, not paying attention," said driving instructor William Keeling.

Still, for 15-year-old Jessie Goodwin, having her second driving lesson in suburban Dallas, the odds of surviving her teen driving years are better than ever.

While fatal accidents involving teenaged drivers are falling nationwide, in Texas they've dropped at twice the national rate, down 33 percent in just five years, from 625 in 2002 to 419 in 2007.

After completing driver training Goodwin will get what's called a graduated license at 16. For the first six months, the license restricts her from driving with more than one friend in the car or after midnight or using a cell phone.

Texas isn't the only state with required driver's training or graduated licenses for teens. In fact, every state has some version of the program. But here, they go a step further.

A new study credits a public awareness campaign called "Teens in the Drivers Seat" with lowering the fatality rate for teen drivers in Texas.

The campaign reaches 250,000 kids in at least 300 schools and uses positive peer pressure to deliver safe driving messages.

"Kids value their friends' opinion sometimes more than their parents because everyone wants to be cool, I guess," said 17-year-old Tim Trieu.

"Once we make that small group of teens aware they start getting that message out to each other," said Kristy Madsen of the Texas Transportation Institute. "It just starts almost like a weed of information and it starts to change habits."

Other states hope to copy the Texas program - and its success making teens safer behind the wheel.

[Cricketcricket]

I read an article by Amy Witherite, who is a Dallas personal injury attorney (and therefore has a lot of experience with this subject) that investigated the risk of teens who drive at night, or with a cell phone, and how it leads to a lot of accidents. http://www.dallastexaspersonalinjurylawyers.com/news/tx-auto-accident-attorney-night-driving-and-cell-phones-biggest-risk-for-teens/. The article states that nighttime driving is the biggest risk for inexperienced drivers, and that combined with the distraction of cell phones, has caused a 10% increase in fatal nighttime crashes within the age range of 16-19. Any program that reaches out to this age group and uses awareness programs and peer influence to educate young drivers is welcome. And a campaign that does this with such successful results? Even more welcome!

[bravodude]

I saw something here in Wylie that was cool. I meet a company called eyesonmyteen.com they offer a teen driving monitoring program for parents.

[whoop09]

Let's try to focus on the good of the article rather than the fact that it is Texas who did it! If you think about it, the program being successful in Texas means the program could be successful in other states too! We can reduce the risk of our children dying everywhere, not just in Texas!

[fabrat1]

Here in my part of Texas we also have the More Years Less Tears campaign. Now because of that our kids have to have twice as many hours of behind the wheel practice and after dark driving etc. before they can even get their license. We're tired of our kids dieing behind the wheel when most of it could be avoided.

[woeisme1]

There is absolutely NOTHING in Texazz that's good. NOTHING!!!!

[smoknmirrors]

woe, whoa. I have grandchildren in Texas. You are getting mighty close to being woe-was-me.
George W. Bush is in Texas. What's good about that? He's not anywhere else!
Try to remember, you never get ahead by kicking a**.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Glad you think nothing good is in Texas...just means you won't be coming around.

[woeisme1]

Just another bunch of far far right wing, ding-a-ling southern white extremists that drink too much. It figures they would be from Texazz! Boy. Napolitano was right to warn against these southern white extremists. They would'nt be so dangerous if they were'nt soooo stupid.

[ffoulkes-2009]

There ya are! I was wondering when the first hater would come on.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Wow...no Texas haters on yet? What? Got nothing to say when Texas beats the nation at something once again?

[woeisme1]

I thought you genius' were going to secede? Can you hurry it up?

[ffoulkes-2009]

woeisme,

Is that supposed to be an insult? The US would have a hard time remaining a world leader without the commerce coming from Texas. The only state that has more commerce is also the one about to go bankrupt (Cali). We more than pay our keep around here...do you?