Mitigating the Problem of Young Driver Risk-Taking
The goal of this report is the improvement of traffic safety by mitigating young-driver (aged 16-20) risk-taking. We recognize that there is a wide range of problematic risky behaviors in addition to, or separate from, risk-taking while driving. A significant number of young people are identified and in need of direct help to address serious problems, such as maltreatment, neglect, substance abuse, crime, gang or youth violence, truancy, suicide/self-harm, runaway tendencies, sexual exploitation/abuse, and/or other issues. Any of these problems may emanate from the family or the peer group of the young people involved. They all affect society in general, and most of them, if not addressed, will ultimately cause great harm to the young people affected. While there is a good chance that many of the recommendations given in this report can address some of these very problematic issues, the primary intent of this study was to present counter- measures that will mitigate the problems of young driver risk-taking.