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Previously, I wrote about the issue of when teens should drive. Recent studies go deeper into the issues, of why teens are having problems while driving. Defining the “It can’t happen to me” attitude, the study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that education may be the key.

Of significance, the study found:

– Teens believe that they are better than their parents at multi-tasking while driving.

– That if they are injured medical technology has advanced enough to fix them.

– That their age and agility are enough to overcome poor driving conditions.

– That they consistently underestimate risks in driving and are more likely to believe that vehicle and highway design are bigger factors in crashes than human error.

Maybe all of these are a product of being young.

The death this weekend in Sanborn, Minnesota brings home how important and dangerous a mistake on the road can be. The ray of hope in the study was that teens who went through a one-day injury-prevention training showed the best ability to pick safer options from various driving scenarios. But long term, the education seemed to wear off.

The conclusion has to be that teens need to be regularly reminded of and educated in the importance of safe driving.

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