Teen Driving Law and Curfews

* In “Punishing Teens to Protect Them” (Opinion, June 11), Mike Males’ claim that California’s graduated driver licensing law is the same as other efforts to restrict youthful behavior is fundamentally flawed. California’s law is based not upon restricting behavior but upon building driving skills and introducing teens gradually into the complex driving environment. This is likely the most dangerous environment teens will ever face.

Males asserts that European teens experience fewer mishaps when freer to engage in adult behavior. European laws typically limit teen licensure until age 17 or 18, not 16 (or 15) as has been common in the U.S.

Males examines deaths and injuries for one year from July 1, 1998, when the law took effect. The first 16-year-old trained under the law’s requirement, however, would have obtained a license six months after the law was enacted. Examining nine months of data from Jan. 1, 1999, against comparable earlier data shows that at-fault injury and fatal crashes declined 17% for 15- and 16-year-olds. In contrast, such collisions rose 8% among 18-year-olds, who were unaffected by the new law. California’s teen driving law works and deserves support.

STEVEN A. BLOCH, Senior

Research Associate, Public Affairs

Automobile Club of Southern

California, Santa Ana

*

Males failed to state that he is a paid consultant for the lawyers who are suing Monrovia [over Monrovia’s curfew law]. He did not address the impact the daytime curfew had on truancy. In the three years following the introduction of the daytime curfew ordinance, there was a 39% reduction in truancy/unexcused absences. This meant more students were attending classes and receiving the benefit of education. Monrovia’s program also contributed to a 29% reduction in crime during school hours and particularly significant reductions in the following crime categories generally associated with truancy: residential burglary (down 32%), vehicle burglary (down 59%), petty theft (down 16%), bicycle theft (down 94%), disturbances (down 30%) and grand theft auto (down 46%).

Truancy is a problem that is growing everywhere. What can we do to reclaim our young people, particularly those who are showing pre-delinquent behavior and are on the margins? While our approach may be nontraditional, it is working. Our officers have issued more than 1,000 noncriminal citations since the ordinance was passed. With only a few exceptions, students admitted their guilt and chose community service as their punishment.

This law has positively affected everyone. Students understand that the community cares about their futures. Parents feel broad community support. They can take advantage of the program’s free parenting classes, which include free child care for the participants. Officers’ morale is up because they believe they really can make a difference in students’ lives. Teachers believe they have police and community support. Government leaders feel a sense of achievement because they have addressed a problem that many believe had no realistic solution.

JOSEPH A. SANTORO

Chief of Police, Monrovia