Should Teen Drivers have Warning Magnets?

Susie Kessler, a Kennesaw, Georgia mother is on a mission to save teen lives.

Kessler, the co-founder of the Caution and Courtesy Driver Alliance is advocating for a law that requires all teen drivers under 18 to place a highly visible “Caution: Newly Licensed” magnet on their car. This idea came after Kessler’s youngest son Donne Kessler was learning to drive in Atlanta’s heavy traffic.

So far, she has distributed 15,000 magnets in the state and now state Sen. Chip Rogers says he is considering writing a bill requiring the magnets for young drivers in Georgia. In 2005, a bill calling for young drivers to place identifying bumper stickers did not pass, however, Kessler remains determined.

These stickers, she says will warn other cars to stay away from new drivers and give them enough space to react to surprise incidents. Lawmakers in New Jersey just passed a set of teen driving laws that requires a special decal on license plates for teens with learner’s permits and new licenses. Many states also have Graduated Driving Laws, which have been proven to save lives.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 5,000 teens are killed each year in traffic accidents—which are the leading killer of 16- to 20-year-olds. In a recent survey, 3 out 4 teens said their parents are the biggest influence over how they drive. If you have a teen driver, it is important to lead by example in addition to talking to them about good driving habits (link to post about good driving habits). See these websites for more information about Allstate’s parent-teen driving contract and driving tips. You can also order a magnet for your teen driver here.

What do you think about “Caution: Newly Licensed” stickers or magnets?

[Source] Atlanta Journal Constitution

Tagged as: safe driving, teen driver