I wrote a blog a short while back that looked at the danger of licencing drivers 16 years of age and under.  The stats are pretty clear that kids of this age are disproportionately involved in accidents.  Something that I failed to look into was the teen drivers who are unlicensed but drive anyway.  Marketwatch.com has come out with a story that looks at the accident and fatality rate of these young unlicensed drivers.  The Marketwatch story says:

According to national traffic fatality data, this group is disproportionately involved in fatal crashes. The 2006 National Young Driver Survey (NYDS) of more than 5,500 teens across the country revealed that about six percent of students in grades 9 through 11 reported driving unsupervised without a license. However, according to the national fatality data, a full 20 percent of 14- to 18-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2006 did not have a license. This means unlicensed teens are significantly over-represented in fatal crashes.

What is the solution to this situation?  Again, I must say that I think people 16 and below really should not be allowed on the roads, for our sake and theirs.  As for the startiling, but not so surprising, statistics presented above.  Teens often feel like they are 10 feet tall and bullet proof, but perhaps allowing for extremely harsh penalties will act as something of a deterant for these youngsters.  Another possible solution could come in the form of security features like Alcolock that would allow only the registered owner to drive the vehcicle.  Whatever the method, it seems obvious that something needs to be done about the high level of risk associtated with young drivers.

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