WETHERSFIELD -- A new study finds Connecticut's high schools are promoting unsafe driving for teens.
According to a Connecticut Children's Medical Center study, only 14 percent of the 122 high schools that submitted info on their parking applications had any reference to the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law. Connecticut's GDL law provides a license with limitations, allowing beginners to gain experience in low risk situations.
The law that include a learner stage which last for six months and requires 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving. The intermediate stage, which limits driving at night and having other teenage passengers, is until the age of 18 followed by full license privileges.
The Department of Motor Vehicles is endorsing a new proposal linking teen driving laws and high school parking applications. A study of parking applications demonstrates that some Connecticut high schools are condoning unsafe and illegal activities. A proposed application from schools to parents and students outlining rules and regulations for parking is included in the proposal. If adopted, rule violations could mean revoking parking privileges on high school campuses in Connecticut or even teens losing their license.
Garry Lapidus, director of the the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and co-author of the study, said the findings are important and he knows of no other study that connects high school parking with teen driving awareness.
"Only 14% of Connecticut high schools include information about teen driver safety laws on their parking pass applications. They also need to avoid looking like they allow unsafe driving activities. We strongly suggest all schools adopt a model form that includes information about Connecticut's teen graduated driver licensing laws in an effort to promote teen driving safety," said Lapidus.
"We applaud Connecticut Children's for its study and for pro-actively promoting with schools, students and parents who sign the application an increased awareness about the teen driving laws," said DMV Commissioner Andres Ayala, Jr.
According to the report, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatalities among teens in the United States and the DMV says this program is another way to raise safety awareness.