Is driving a right or a privilege?

First, let’s look at this literally. In some states, a 14 year-old can legally take a 4000 pound killing machine out on an open highway with little or no supervision.

It should be no surprise that the correlation between legal driving age, graduated driver licensing laws, and the teenage driving fatality rate in each state is staggering. In some states, all you have to do is pass a simple (5th grade reading level!) test, navigate around some construction cones, and POOF! You have the RIGHT to drive.

Unfortunately you also have the right to die young.


Each loss is a tragedy beyond comparison. In Arkansas alone, between 1996 and 2006, 619 teens were killed in car accidents. I personally knew six of them. Babies whose parents made sure their first two-wheeled bike had training wheels. Babies whose family and friends are permanently heartbroken. All were under 18.

More teenagers died in the US in 2008 than total fatalities suffered in both Iraq and Afghanistan since the war started in 2003. Where is the outrage about that statistic?

It’s time for adults to step up to the plate. Monitoring teen drivers is not only important, it’s critical. It allows them to prove that they are worthy of the privilege to drive and ultimately might keep them alive until their brain catches up with their right foot. (That’s the one on the pedals.)

If training wheels were an acceptable way to keep them safe on two wheels, DashTrac is a sensible and affordable way to keep them safe on four.