Will it make a better teen driver?
For many high school juniors and seniors, this summer will be a memorable one: Their first summer as a licensed driver. It will also be memorable for parents, who will be spending their summer worried about their teen on the road. Mark New understands how parents feel, being a father of a new driver himself. So he came up with a plan to make himself and his son, Eric, feel safer.
"I was driving my son to the train station, and said to him, ‘Next year, you’ll be able to drive yourself there.’ Just then, I saw a truck with a ‘How’s My Driving’ sign on the back and thought to myself, why couldn’t this work for teenage drivers?" says Mark, a Hillsborough resident.
The program, TeensOnBoard, provides parents with a bumper sticker that is U.V. protected and reflective and can be put on the back of the teen’s car. The sticker will display a toll free phone number that will connect to a call center or by e-mail. Those who see teens driving poorly or making mistakes can call the number and speak to the TeensOnBoard representatives. People can also e-mail TeensOnBoard at any time. The message will then be collected and sent to the parents.
While the program may seem like a dream come true for parents, Mark understands that some teens may not feel as excited about it. However, he feels that safety should always come first. "Safety is one of those areas that should be non-negotiable. It is no different than wearing a bike helmet, car seat or other protective measures when the kids were younger."
Eric wasn’t sure at first how to feel about his father’s new plan.
"At first, I thought he was doing it because it just so happened to be when I was getting my permit," he admits. "But then I could see how much he believed in it."
"We had a spirited discussion. [Eric] was offered his grandmother’s old car and it was contingent on ‘getting with the program.’…A month later, two teens in our neighborhood were hurt in an auto accident…As a result, he began to view the program quite positively," said Mark.
A National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) study reports that car collisions are the number one cause of death for 15-20 year olds. A National Safety Council report claims that 90 percent of parents of teens don’t drive with their new driver after they pass their driving test. Mark feels that his program will ensure that while parents still may not be driving with their teens, they will feel like they can keep their child safe.
Locally, East Rutherford Sergeant Paul Cece isn’t sure that the program is really necessary.
"The best way to keep teens in control of their driving is through education," Cece says.
According to East Rutherford Police Department records, there is no increase in teen accidents as compared to accidents of adults and senior citizens. "Why just stop at teens?" Cece adds.
Teens in the area have their own ideas about the program.
"I think it’s a good idea, but instead of talking to your parents they [the callers] could talk directly to you," Lea Dunn, a freshman at Rutherford High School suggests.
Other teens were skeptical. "What if you just take the sticker off?" Adam A. O. Ortiz, a sophomore at Rutherford High School, said.
The sticker can only be removed with a "specific solution."
There were also concerns about false phone calls. "Anybody can call up…if no one’s gonna sign their name," Cece says.
"The questions on the call go into great detail, which a ‘crank caller’ would have difficulty answering. A suspicious report will also be forwarded to the parent as such," said Mark.
As far as how effective a program might be, Mark points to the success of the program with truck drivers. "Many companies have reported a 20-25 percent reduction in accidents and police intervention," he says.
Though Cece might not understand the need for the program to zero in on teens, he and Mark can agree on something: Parents should have the control.
