Are our Teen Drivers Out of Control?

On Wednesday November 28, 15 year old passenger Stephanie Weir, a sophomore at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf Maryland, was killed in a car accident when the teen driver lost control of the vehicle while headed to school that morning. Stephanie became the 12th Washington DC metro area teenager to be killed in a car accident in the last month. Stephanie lost her life, while the driver and another 16 year old passenger were seriously injured.

The recent spate of deaths has reminded area residents of a similar month in 2004 when 15 local teens died in car accidents. After the tragic month of 2004 driver’s license laws were changed in Maryland to try and prevent future deaths, however many teens ignore these laws. This month’s painful reminder of life’s fragility has parents and law enforcement officials asking again – what can be done to protect the lives of area teens?

A November to remember – for all the wrong reasons

November was a deadly month for local teenage drivers. Following is a list of the 12 teens killed in automobile accidents in the DC Metro area so far this month. While a few accidents are still under investigation, the majority have been attributed to speed and driver error – and in many cases the deceased were not wearing seatbelts.

• November 5: Chesapeake Beach Maryland teens 17 year old Alyson M. Purvis and her 14 year old brother Ryan J. Purvis were killed when Alyson, the driver, failed to yield to a box truck when trying to cross through an intersection. Two other teen passengers were injured.


• November 6: Four La Plata, MD teenagers were killed in an accident attributed to speed and driver error. None of the deceased was wearing a seatbelt. Driver Jonathan Chapman (16), Tavonne Alston (16), Dionnte Swinson (15), and Donte Segar (14) were killed, and passenger Markus Allen (17) was injured.


• November 12: Calvert county teen Christian Cruz, 17, was killed in Wheaton, MD when the car he was in veered off the wet road into a tree. Speed was a factor in the accident, and there is suspicion that one of the three 15 year old accident survivors was driving.


• November 12: 16 year old Alicia Maria Betancourt was killed in a Silver Spring, MD accident when the 16 year old driver (who survived the crash) when the car spun out of control. Betancourt was wearing a seatbelt and shoulder harness, and speed and driver error are believed to be the cause of the accident.


• November 19: Two teenagers, 16 year olds Oswaldo Rosales and Ricardo Orellana, were killed on Avery Road in Rockville, MD when the driver, 19 year old Jose Miguel Gomez, lost control and hit a tree. Neither victim was wearing a seatbelt, but the driver – who was wearing one – was reported to be in fair to good condition. Speed was determined to be a factor in the accident.


• November 20: 19 year old Gilbert Johnson was died at the scene in Purcellville, Virginia when his Jeep veered off the road and hit a tree.


• November 28: 15 year old Stephanie Weir was killed in an accident attributed to teen driver error.

What can be done about teen car deaths?

A 2006 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore showed that strict laws for how and when teenagers can get and keep a license can reduce fatal crashes involving these new drivers by 11% on average, and up to 21%. The study showed that the more comprehensive restrictions on teen drivers, the better the results.

The study reviewed state license programs that included the following:

• 15 1/2 as the minimum age for a learner's permit


• At least a three months waiting period after receiving the learner's permit before an application for an intermediate license can be made


• At least 30 hours of supervised driving time


• 16 as the minimum age for receiving an intermediate state license


• 17 as the minimum age for receiving a full state license


• Restrictions on driving at night


• Restrictions on the number and type of passengers

In an attempt to better protect teenage drivers from their own inexperience, Maryland expanded their graduated license program for new teen drivers in 2005. New rules included restricting the number and type of passengers a new driver could transport, the time when young drivers can be on the road, and restrictions on wireless device and cell phone use. Virginia has new teen driver rules that include curfews and passenger restrictions.

In response to the recent tragedies, Charles county – where the four teens died in a La Plata crash – wants to enforce stricter treatment for teens who violate existing driver laws. They will do this by mailing a letter to the home of teen drivers who receive a traffic citation. Officials reason that more laws won’t make the difference, but encouraging teens to follow laws already on the books will.

Resources for concerned parents

The National Safety Council (NSC) offers a defensive driving course for parents called “Alive at 25 Parent Program”. They also provide a Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety that can be downloaded from their website. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a news release entitled “Parents Key To Reducing Teen Driver Crashes” to announce their policy statement, which detailed why teens are at a greater risk for motor-vehicle related injuries. They offered the following suggestions for the parents of teenage drivers:

• Give permission for them to obtain a license


• Control access to the vehicle


• Set family restrictions and punishments for infractions


• Assure that the vehicle is safe


• Be a driving instructor and supervisor or provide driving lessons


• Serve as a role model for safe driving

So the bottom line is that if you are worried about your young driver – you may be the first line of defense against a tragedy in your own family.

The attorneys at Dulaney, Lauer, and Thomas, LLP are concerned about your teenage driver and want them to be safe. Unfortunately “accidents happen”. If your young driver or someone you know has been involved in a serious car accident, please contact us immediately. We are a Virginia based practice and can help you recover from the devastating effects of an automobile crash and get the compensation you deserve.