Nov 24, 2008 11:28 pm US/Eastern
Maryland Takes On Driving Age Debate
DAMASCUS, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Maryland teens will be involved in more than 20,000 crashes this year, many of them deadly.
CBS
Maryland teens will be involved in more than 20,000 crashes this year, many of them deadly. It's a startling statistic from the Maryland State Highway Administration that's prompting a national cry to raise the driving age.
As
Kai Jackson reports, some say 16 is too young to get behind the wheel.
Sean Mullsteff's lapse in judgment happened soon after his 19th birthday.
"The phone rang and his friend said, 'Mr. Mullsteff, it's bad, get here fast. Sean is unconscious,'" said Perry Mullsteff, Sean's father.
They're words Perry will never forget.
His teenage son, a kid who never drank or did drugs, who hugged and kissed his parents, who just got an athletic college scholarship, was wrapped around a tree just two miles from their Damascus home.
"He hit the tree at 86 mph. We were praying out loud, calling to him, saying, 'Hold on, Sean. It's going to be OK. We're right here,'" said Perry.
Their prayers went unanswered and Sean Mullsteff became a statistic.
Auto accidents are the number one cause of death for U.S. teens and the motivation for a national push to raise the driving age.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wants every state to raise their driving ages to 17 or even 18. The agency cites New Jersey, where the driving age is already 17 and fewer teens die in accidents.
"It's not a knee-jerk reaction, it's not based on emotion. It's based on the science and the data that tell us why this works," said Pam Fischer, N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
The experts behind the science conduct research at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda.
Dr. Rhoshel Lenroot says adolescent brains aren't physically able to assess risky situations quickly or tune out distractions.
"In terms of teen driving, this part of the brain which has to do with the kinds of faculties you need in order to drive well, doesn't finish maturing until you're in your 20s," said Dr. Lenroot.
Sean Mullsteff, like too many other young drivers, made a bad decision and didn't know how to fix it.
"Speed and then the violent turning of the wheel at the high rate of speed," said Perry Mullsteff.
Perry is on a personal mission to educate families so they don't suffer the same loss as his.
"By thinking and believing that we can save one life, that's enough to drive me forward. I owe it to Sean. I owe it to moms and dads in the world who could lose children," he said.
Perry is so passionate he visits schools to give presentations on safe driving. The Montgomery County father has already reached more than 100,000 kids directly.
Many states, including Maryland, use graduated licensing. That allows teens to earn driving privileges over time. But AAA wants to toughen up the program with more restrictions.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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