Lowering Teen Car Crashes
By: Kim Balonado, KNBC
Updated: April 9, 2012
It's a rite of passage for every teenager: learning how to drive.
But some parents are choosing to wait longer before allowing their children to get drivers licenses, and with good reason.
Teen drivers are four times more likely to crash, and more than 60 percent of teens will be in a car crash their first year of driving.
"Ninety percent of crashes are due to human error," said Carolyn Duchene, director of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. "We could build the safest cars in the world, but if we turn the keys over to someone who hasn't been properly trained, all bets are off.
The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is a teen education and training center in Los Angeles.
What also makes this program unique is the parental involvement.
Duchene said their curriculum goes far beyond the state requirements, more than doubling the amount of time behind the wheel, including night and freeway driving and a lesson on distracted driving.
But some parents are choosing to wait longer before allowing their children to get drivers licenses, and with good reason.
Teen drivers are four times more likely to crash, and more than 60 percent of teens will be in a car crash their first year of driving.
"Ninety percent of crashes are due to human error," said Carolyn Duchene, director of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. "We could build the safest cars in the world, but if we turn the keys over to someone who hasn't been properly trained, all bets are off.
The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is a teen education and training center in Los Angeles.
What also makes this program unique is the parental involvement.
Duchene said their curriculum goes far beyond the state requirements, more than doubling the amount of time behind the wheel, including night and freeway driving and a lesson on distracted driving.
