Eagle Pass Teen Driver Advisory Board presents Report to City Council
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016
Eagle Pass’s Teen Driver Advisory Board presented the City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council a report concerning the status of Teen Driving in the State of Texas at their February 2, 2016 meeting.
Pablo Garcia and Miguel Maldonado, both C. C. Winn High School students and members of the Eagle Pass Teen Driver Advisory Board, presented City Council with the latest Texas Department of Public Safety statistics concerning Teen Drivers in Texas.
In 2014, the Texas Department of Public safety reported a total of 844 automobile crashes/accidents in Maverick County, Texas.
In 2014, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported a total of 370,498 automobile crashes/accidents across the entire State of Texas. Of those accidents, a total of 51,567 (14%) involved teen drivers between the ages of 13 to 18 years old.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety, a total of 23,767 of those accidents involved 18 year old drivers, 16,317 accidents involved 17 year old drivers, 9,892 accidents involved 16 year old drivers, 1,183 accidents involved 15 year old drivers, 302 accidents involved 14 year old drivers, and 117 accidents involved 13 year old drivers.
Maldonado and Garcia presented City Council the main dangers that teenage drivers face, signaling the top five dangers or causes that teen drivers encounter while driving.
“60% of the accidents happen at night. It starts at 6 Pm and ends at 6 AM, which is the most leading cause that kills teenagers while they’re in a car.” said Garcia. The 6 PM to 6 AM time period is the most deadly time for teen drivers to be driving and causing the most deaths.
Garcia emphasized the dangers of night time driving and the lack of sufficient sleeping time by teen drivers as among the leading causes of teen driver accidents and deaths.
Garcia and Maldonado noted the dangers created by careless driving as often times teenage drivers attempt to imitate movies, glorifying speed and careless driving. Ultimately, causing them accidents and/or deaths.
Another concern Garcia raised was the lack of safety belt use among teen drivers, causing them many serious injuries and deaths in Texas.
“ A lot of teenagers and adults will say, you know what I just won’t use my seat belt because it won’t make a difference. The difference a seat belt will make is a lot, saving lives,” said Garcia.
“That seat belt could be the one thing that will save your life.” added Garcia. Buckle up, it may save your life.
Garcia noted that driver distractions such as cell phones, texting, messaging, radios, car stereos, and talking with passengers also is a major cause of teen driver accidents and deaths.
Garcia also cited that another major cause of teen driver accidents is driving under the influence of alcohol. “The next one is driving under the influence, let someone else be the designated driver. Teenagers should not even drink because they are underage, much less drive an automobile under the influence of alcohol,” said Garcia.
“Their is no reason why a teenager should even be driving under the influence but for some reason it’s still an issue. Teenagers still find a way to get alcohol.” added Garcia.
“Those are five of the issues teenagers face while driving,” concluded Garcia.
Garcia and Maldonado advised City Council that the Teen Driver Advisory Board is in the process of implementing teen driver awareness campaigns and programs at the local school levels and hope that the local government entities will participate in lowering the tragic percentage of teenage driving accidents that occur in Maverick County and Texas.
Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey E. Cantu thanked both Garcia and Maldonado and acknowledged the youth in the community for their initiative in many levels.
“We look forward to formalizing any type of partnership that we can possibly do to help prevent everything that you’re trying to prevent.” said Cantu.
