Bill to restrict teenage driving at night worth passage

Whatever is suggested to make Alabama’s roadways safer, it must be taken seriously. Last week, the Alabama Legislature received a bill to lower speed limits on interstates and four-lane highways by 5 mph. But another bill, one that would put additional restrictions on young drivers, could save more lives.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, more than 6,000 teens are killed annually in automobile accidents. It was also reported that while teens make up just seven percent of all licensed drivers, they are involved in 14 percent of the fatalities and 20 percent of all reported accidents. And another thing — one-third of all deaths of teens between the ages of 16 and 18 stem from automobile accidents.

These numbers do not reflect the number of deaths and injuries inflicted upon other motorists involved in accidents that include teenaged drivers.

Something must be done, and Rep. Mac Gipson, R-Prattville, offered a suggestion last week by introducing a bill that would force all 16-year-old drivers and some 17-year-old drivers off of the roads by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends. As of now, teens must be off the road by midnight. Gipson’s proposal also prohibits the use of cell phones or other electronic devices by teens while driving. The bill also requires that drivers with learner’s permits have a licensed driver 21 years or older in the passenger’s seat.

Gipson’s plan has the right idea: give younger drivers every opportunity they can to succeed behind the wheel. Young children need training wheels before they can ride a bicycle. The same principle can be applied to young drivers, who often believe they are bulletproof and sometimes do not have the maturity to navigate vehicles safely.

The plan is certainly worth listening to, but could use some tinkering. The bill exempts young drivers going to or from work or church. It should not matter. Whether or not a driver is on his way home from Mass or from flipping burgers does not make this driver less dangerous.

The rules should be applied evenly across the board, regardless of where the teen is driving from.

We encourage the Legislature to adopt Gipson’s bill, but modify the bill that makes it equal for all teens regardless of their destination. What matters most is their final destination — which is safely at home each night with their parents.