The News Transcript article “Numerous DWI Cases Keeping Officers Busy” of Dec. 10, 2008, presents a most disturbing picture of what has become of parental controls. Within an 11-day period, no fewer than six DWI charges were made in a relatively small geographic area; three of the six involved teenage drivers.
The problems and issues related to teen traffic deaths that have taken place in New Jersey have received considerable attention since mid-2007. It was then that a series of tragic events took the lives of many of our young people. New Jersey has implemented a number of measures designed to reduce the incidence of teenage-driver-related deaths and injuries.
What is so striking about the three teen DWIs that took place between Nov. 27 and Nov. 30 is the time of day and how extreme the alcohol/drug consumption appears to have been. An obvious question is “How can 18- and 19- year-olds be on the road at 11:21 p.m., 3:08 a.m. and 2:33 a.m. in such a condition, without their parents being aware?”
As a veteran of the insurance industry with significant experience in all aspects of the automobile line, I have taken a serious interest in this issue. I have developed a presentation designed to educate parents, teenage drivers, insurance professionals and concerned citizens with the hope of bringing about a reduced incidence of teenage-driver-related injuries and deaths. I offer this course free of charge to anyone who will give me an hour of their time.
Back when the News Transcript was running Police Beat, I profiled the drunk-driving convictions
to better understand trends. Through three issues that ran on consecutive weeks, 21 DWI convictions were reported, with 13 noting the time of day. Of these 13, 11 took place between midnight and 3 a.m. Obviously, this is a good time to keep your teenage driver off the roads. Even if they have not been using alcohol, the likelihood of being hit by someone who was is greatly elevated.
In a comprehensive study of 5,600 teens, 48 percent report seeing other teens driving after drinking, and 38 percent report seeing other teens driving after using marijuana. Underage drinking is a major factor in teenage driving fatalities. In 2005, among fatally injured drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, 23 percent had blood alcohol levels at, or above, the legal limit of .08 percent.
It appears that parents in Monmouth County need to exercise far greater control through all aspects of their teenagers’ driving. It is not just the time of day a vehicle may be used. It’s an entire range of issues including vehicle type, seat belt use, number of passengers permitted, use of cell phone and text messaging, to name a few.
Changes will need to be made in many households if there is to be a significant improvement in the accident rate for New Jersey’s teenagers. The new laws represent a positive step, as do many of the programs being run in our schools.
Nothing, however, will impact as much as what parents do to exercise control. The events of late November should never be repeated. Each of those DWI charges could have resulted in a serious accident with deadly consequences.
Paul Pinchak Freehold Township

