Proposed teen-driver bill yields disparity

The majority of accidents stem from those drivers under age 18.
By SARAH POULTON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Adults and teens have opposing opinions about the proposed state bill that would raise the restrictions on 16- and 17-year-old drivers.
Ohio Substitute House Bill 343 would add a passenger limitation and increase the night-time driving limits for teen drivers, officials said. This bill has passed in the Ohio House and will be voted on by the state Senate after the November election.
Brian Newbacher, an official with the American Automobile Association, said the bill would limit probationary drivers who are 16 to driving with no more than one nonfamily member in the vehicle, and they would not be allowed to drive between midnight and 6 a.m.
He also said that probationary drivers would be forced to undergo six additional months of parent-supervised driving if cited with a moving violation.
Drivers who are 17 would be restricted between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. Newbacher said. He said he thought the rules should be stricter, possibly even revoking the recent change to allow teens to obtain their driver's permit at 151/2.
He said that it's not their fault; they just don't have the experience or maturity at that point in time to be driving without restrictions.
"Teens consider themselves to be invincible, and tragically that's not true," Newbacher said. "They find out the hard way."
Some teens disagreed with Newbacher, however.
Boardman residents Marc Lavolpa, 16, and Cameron Anderson, 17, think that it should be up to their parents, not the state, to make those decisions.
"I think if your parents think that you are responsible enough to get your license, it's shouldn't be up to the state to decide how many people are in your car or what time you drive," Marc said.
"If you get your license at 16 and you're 17, you have a year's worth of experience," Anderson said. "Like Marc said, if your parents trust you, then so be it."
Youngstown residents Nick Parrorro, 72, and Carolyn Fields thought that the proposed bill was a good idea, and that the restrictions were fair.
"I think it's a good idea," Fields said. "At that age the kids are inexperienced, and the fewer distractions the better. They don't need to be out on the streets that late at night."
Parrorro said that multiple passengers tend to distract the drivers, and he doesn't think that 16-year-olds were ready to be faced with situations like that.
Sgt. John Allsopp, Boardman Police Department traffic unit supervisor, said all indications lead him to believe that these changes are positive. He said that by restricting the amount of occupants in the car, traffic fatalities will decrease.
"Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 20, which may be attributed to inexperience and their tendency to take risks on the road," Allsopp added.
Devon Cretella, insurance agent at David A. Cretella Agency in Girard, agreed with Allsopp, adding that the majority of accidents come from those drivers under 18. Cretella said that she is involved with insurance claims from accidents on a daily basis, and that something needs to be done before more young people die in car accidents.
This bill "is absolutely necessary," Cretella said. "It would cut down on the amount of unnecessary deaths and injuries due to inexperienced drivers."
Different approach
State Sen. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, said the bill is common sense in the fact that previous measures didn't work and it's time to take a different approach to the issue.
In 1997, the state changed the age to obtain a temporary permit from 16 to 151/2. Hagan said that this did not work because the teenage death statistics have not changed.
"Sixteen and 17-year-olds are bad drivers," Hagan said. "You can look at the numbers. This is a good bill because they have no experience, and there's no reason for a 16-year-old to be out at 1 in the morning."
State Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, said that he will push for this bill to be heard by the Senate. He said that it was a good bill in terms of limiting the number of young people in cars.
"I think the state will be better off after it," Dann said. "At the end of the day, driving is a privilege. It's a sensible change."
spoulton@vindy.com