Fewer Teen Drivers are Buckling Up

RIO GRANDE — Seatbelt use by teenage drivers and their passengers decreased by 9 percent from 2010 to 2011 noted a survey done by the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance (NJSTA).
Reasoning for the decline in seatbelt use remains unknown. “We don’t understand where the disconnect is,” said Teresa Thomas, NJSTA Program Manager. “These teens have grown up with the seat belt and all the technological advances in vehicle safety.”
The survey was performed at high schools throughout Cape May, Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland Counties. Observations took place during afternoon dismissal at high schools with school parking lots. Three high schools; Middle Township, Lower Cape May Regional and Wildwood Catholic were observed in Cape May County.
According to the report, Wildwood Catholic was the only school in the county to have 100 percent seat belt compliance for both drivers and front seat passengers.
“We would like to see all schools achieve the same compliance,” said Thomas.
Rules for seat belt compliance with a new driver are different than those for adults. New drivers, driving with a Graduated Drivers License (GDL), have more stringent seat belt rules. Thomas said all passengers, both front and rear, must be buckled up or the driver faces fines for each person in non-compliance.
“If there are four in the car and no one is buckled, he (the driver) will get four tickets,” said Thomas.
Adults, however, are only responsible for themselves and their front passengers to be buckled. Adult passengers in the back seat of a car driven by an adult will be individually ticketed.
While seat belts save lives once a crash happens, the use of electronics has become one reason why crashes occur.
“They’re texting all the time. They’re on those cell phones all the time,” Thomas told the Herald, noting that data documenting the use of cell phones as a cause of accidents is still too new. “We don’t have that kind of crash data,” she said, “because we are only just starting to add that identifier to a crash report to tell if a cell phone was the cause.”
Thomas stressed the importance of having drivers focused on driving, not on texting, talking or using a GPS.
“The law says no use of electronic devices, cell phones (either handheld or hands free), iPads, etc.” she said.
Overall, the completed survey showed only 2 percent of young drivers to be using cell phones. Cape May County drivers, however, had a 6 percent rate of cell phone usage while driving.
While talking and texting may seem like a monumental problem, Thomas said the reason for most teen auto fatalities is the lack of seat belt use.
“We’ve had four so far this year in the four counties served by SJTSA. None were in Cape May County.
One way parents can help keep their teen driver focused on the road is to have a contract with their driver.
“Parents need to have a dialog with their teen driver,” said Thomas. “It’s deciding between the two of you what the consequences of not following the law or whatever the rules are going to be for the car.”
The Children’s’ Hospital of Philadelphia conducted a study where the data showed if teenagers had to ask for permission to use the car, or ask for the keys, the parent then has the opportunity to ask their young driver three questions – Where are you going, who are you going to be with, and when will you be home.
“That reconfirmation of what the expectations are,” said Thomas, “they find that crashes are reduced by 50 percent.”