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Monday, May 28, 2007
Physically Speaking - Teen Drivers Should Be The Very Best - Statistically - They Aren't - Why?
Generally speaking in terms of a physically fit teenager they are limber, muscles are strong and flexible, reflexes are quick. This combination should help a teen driver to be quite good at driving a car. Think again!
The teenagers number one cause of death is car crashes in the US. So, what's up with that? Some scientists think it's the maturity of the brain in the area that inhibits risky behavior. It was thought that this area of the brian was mature at 18, but a study by UCLA and the National Institute of Mental Health shows that "the region of the brain that inhibits risky behavior does not mature as quickly as previously thought". Now they are thinking it may not be fully formed until the age of 25.
"We'd thought the highest levels of physical and brain maturity were reached by age 18, maybe earlier -- so this threw us," said Jay Giedd, a pediatric psychiatrist leading the study, which released its first results in April. That makes adolescence "a dangerous time, when it should be the best."
A driving-style test study from Temple University was used to show that "young people consistently take greater risks when their friends are watching".
Other studies indicate supporting evidence that the judgment of teenagers further deteriorates with distractions.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety teens are four times as likely as older adult drivers to be involved in a crash and three times as likely to die in one.
Lets hope the studies and scientists keep going and help us to figure out the way to save more young lives. Perhaps armed with more proof from studies the driving age will be increased to 25 years of age.
The teenagers number one cause of death is car crashes in the US. So, what's up with that? Some scientists think it's the maturity of the brain in the area that inhibits risky behavior. It was thought that this area of the brian was mature at 18, but a study by UCLA and the National Institute of Mental Health shows that "the region of the brain that inhibits risky behavior does not mature as quickly as previously thought". Now they are thinking it may not be fully formed until the age of 25.
"We'd thought the highest levels of physical and brain maturity were reached by age 18, maybe earlier -- so this threw us," said Jay Giedd, a pediatric psychiatrist leading the study, which released its first results in April. That makes adolescence "a dangerous time, when it should be the best."
A driving-style test study from Temple University was used to show that "young people consistently take greater risks when their friends are watching".
Other studies indicate supporting evidence that the judgment of teenagers further deteriorates with distractions.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety teens are four times as likely as older adult drivers to be involved in a crash and three times as likely to die in one.
Lets hope the studies and scientists keep going and help us to figure out the way to save more young lives. Perhaps armed with more proof from studies the driving age will be increased to 25 years of age.
# posted by gopi @ 12:08 AM 
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