Mackenzie Papoi, 15, of Parkville, who only had a learner’s permit, died Dec. 22 when she drove head-on into a Hummer after driving the wrong way on I-795.
Dennis Woolford, 17, of Phoneix, died Sept. 26 when he took a turn too fast in the morning rain on Jarrettsville Pike and crashed into an oncoming vehicle.
While such tragedies involving teenage drivers have stolen headlines and broken hearts, the number of driving accidents where a teen driver is at fault has actually declined in recent years, according to data reviewed by The Examiner.
Between 2003 and 2007, the number of fatal crashes in the Baltimore region caused by drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 has declined 66 percent from 62 to 21, and the number of injury crashes has fallen 54 percent from 4,306 to 1.947. Statistics for 2008 are not yet available.
In fact, 2007 was the best year for teen drivers in over a decade, according to data from the State Highway Administration.
The Examiner reported in October the overall number of teen-related crashes has dropped statewide, though some counties like Howard saw an increase since 1999.
State officials credit the decline in accidents to the graduated drivers license program, which staggers driving freedom through a learner’s permit and provisional license.
“There is no doubt that the … system works and it has helped to reduce teen crashes and fatalities,” said John Kuo, administrator of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.
But the tragic accidents of late serve as reminders of inexperience, as teen drivers during their first six months of driving are the highest-risk group on the road.
Woolford had his license for only three months when he was driving on a stretch of Jarrettsville Pike where the road dips and makes a narrow turn into a small stream valley.
He “approached a curve at a speed greater than that which the driver would be able to control his vehicle. In addition, his speed was too fast for existing conditions,” according to the Baltimore County Police report.
Woolford, who friends had described as a bright, caring young man, lost control and crashed head-on into another teen driver, who survived the crash. Woolford didn’t.
For Papoi, she only had a learner’s permit, which allows teens to drive with someone over 21 and who has had a valid license for three years. Her passenger was a 17-year-old friend.
Papoi was driving a 2001 Toyota Echo southbound on northbound I-795 near Franklin Boulevard when she crashed into an oncoming Hummer. State police are still investigating how she was able to cross over a divided highway into oncoming traffic.
Police also believe alcohol was involved.
Over-confidence combined with inexperience often lead to most teen accidents, said Tom Pecoraro, president of I Drive Smart, Inc., a driving school run by law enforcement officers.
“There are six causative factors in teen crashes – passenger number, speed, time of day, inexperience, alcohol and training,” Pecoraro said. “One of those six factors in all crashes, but what parents and drivers need to know is that all of them are preventive. It’s all about training and choices.”
Maryland has taken steps to remove those dangers by limiting passengers during the early years of driving, prohibiting cell phone use and instituting curfews for young drivers.
MVA has studied other licensing programs across the country this year and is reviewing possible legislation for the upcoming General Assembly session, but MVA officials said nothing was finalized as of press time.
But laws alone cannot end harmful crashes, as all driver safety advocates and state officials say parents play a role as important as the MVA.
“Though we have seen a decline in teen crashes, these unfortunate accidents illustrate the continued need for parents not only to be involved, but to stay involved,” said Ragina Averella, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
“Parents need to enforce the laws and make sure their children are following the law even if the parents are not in the car.”
Pecoraro’s school offers a class describing those causative factors to schools and community groups. Howard County schools require all high school students and their parents to attend a class showing graphic crash images and citing driving laws before students can receive parking permits.
“We think Maryland has done quite a bit” to improve teen driving, Averella said. “Not to say that it’s perfect, but we have come a long way.”
By the numbers
» Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds.
» Between 1995 and 2004, almost 64,000 15- to 20-year-olds died in traffic crashes.
» The risk of a crash involving a teen driver increases with each additional teen passenger in the vehicle.
Source: National Traffic Safety Board
