The number one killer of teenagers in this country is automobile accidents. In 2009, almost 3,000 drivers aged 15-20 were killed in automobile crashes. Another 3,300 lives were taken in crashes involving drivers aged 15-20. These statistics make car accidents the number 1 killer of people in this age group. More than illness, gun violence or suicide. It's for these reasons that several of our national legislators have come up with the STANDUP Act; Safe Teen And Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act. The STANDUP Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and will be introduced in the House by Representative Tim Bishop (D-NY), will create federal guidelines for states in implementing driver liscensure.

     Graduated Driver Liscensing Laws, or GDL Laws, have been adopted in several states and research shows that they've been highly effective in reducing the number of novice driver casualties. Oregon saw a 16% drop in teen male driving fatalities. Florida saw a 9% drop in all driving fatalities among drivers 15-18. In California, in the first three years of their GDL program, deaths and injuries from 16 year-old drivers dropped 40%, and at-fault collisions dropped by 1/4. It was because of these insights into the GDL laws' effectiveness that the STANDUP Act was introduced, which will mandate states meet minimum requirements of GDL laws within 3 years.

     The minimum requirements of GDL laws that a state would need to enact look like this:

• States must meet the following requirements under the STANDUP Act:
• Three stages of licensing – learner’s permit, intermediate stage, and full licensure – should be used
• Age 16 should be the earliest age for entry into the learner’s permit process
• Nighttime driving while unsupervised should be restricted during the learner’s permit and intermediate stages, until full licensure at age 18
• Driving while using communication devices (cell phone calls, texting) should be prohibited at least until full licensure at age 18
• Unrestricted, full licensure should occur no earlier than age 18
• Passengers should be restricted – no more than one non-familial passenger under age 21 unless a licensed driver over age 21 is in the vehicle – until full licensure at age 18 (www.saferoads4teens.org)

     These minimum requirements may also be supplemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation witha dditional requirements, such as a minimum number of hours in a given timeframe that individuals must drive in order to get their learner's permit.

     Though ostensibly optional for states, the STANDUP Act would give states three years to implement the minimum requirements of GDL laws, after which states will either receive government grants to help further develop their GDL program, or receive federal sanctions. This is in an effort to make all states accountable for their drivers' liscensing process, and to take responsibility for their youngest on the roads.

     Many states already have implemented parts of the GDL laws in their own liscensure practices, and some states have implemented GDL laws to the letter. New Jersey even has a decal that, by law, must be placed on the car's liscense plate if the driver is not yet full liscensed. In fact, this legislation is so obviously beneficial that auto insurance giant All-State has joined the cause to pass the STANDUP Act.

     It may not seem like much, to put off full liscensing privileges for drivers for a couple of years. However, according to saferoads4teens.org, crashes involving 16 year-old drivers are 3 times those of 17 year-old drivers and 5 times those of 18 year-old drivers. As much as we want to assume that our kids are young adults in the latter years of their high school careers, they still make mistakes, fall prey to peer pressure, and take stupid risks. It's important that we let our senators and representatives know that we want to protect our children and our communities by making states accountable for their drivers' liscensing practices. If you are interested in joining a coalition in support of the STANDUP Act on Facebook, please click here.