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Taylor Brady

Dr. Colombo

UWRT1104

1 March, 2017

What is the true definition of a bad driver?

What is highest causes of car crashes?

What is the effectiveness of the GDL system?

How could we decrease the number of bad drivers on the road?

Is their bias in how we see the definition of bad driving?

Is there any common ground between the definitions of bad driving?

Work Cited
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What is highest causes of car crashes?

Michael Pines states that the causes of accidents are what you would expect however

there are some reasons that you would expect to be higher or not on the list. These would

be reasons like ice or car defects (25 causes).


Michael Pines states, While some of these car accident causes may seem obvious and

redundant to experienced drivers, this list aims to educate all levels of drivers, from the

teenage driver who just got his license, to the senior driver with 40 years of experience

behind the wheel. This shows that the ways people get hurt are not common knowledge

(25 causes).
Robert Foss talks about how the GDL system is helping to bring down the number of teen

related crashes. Crash rates declined sharply for all levels of severity among 16-year-old

drivers after the GDL program was implemented (Foss).

These sources suggest that the most common reasons for crashes are distracted driving and

speeding. This however is complemented with the fact that just teen driving alone can account

for a big portion of it.

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What is the effectiveness of the GDL system?

According to Foss and his study, the GDL system is effective in its mission to reduce

fatal crashes. Following GDL, 16-year-old driver crashes were substantially less likely.

Comparing 1996 with 1999, fatal crashes declined 57%, from 5 to 2 per 10 000

population (rate ratio [RR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.70); crashes with

no or minor injuries decreased 23%, from 1068 to 826 per 10 000 (RR, 0.77; 95% CI,

0.75-0.80) (Foss).
As a part of the GDL system, there have been some additions to try and further its

effectiveness even more. A new law in North Carolina will make the drivers permit even

tougher to get. A state law that takes effect Sunday requires them to turn in a paper

record of their driving time before they can move up to the next level of the graduated

licensing system (Leslie).

As a way to make sure that the number of teen deaths on the road decreases, The GDL system is

effective in doing so. Not only is the data proving of this, but even today there are additions to it

in order to keep it relevant.

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How could we decrease the number of bad drivers on the road?

The number of bad drivers on the road is higher than it has ever been. A way to keep

them off the road is by making it harder to get a license in the first place. With the new
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North Carolina law, it makes young drivers fill out a log showing that they have been

behind the wheel before getting their full provisional license. "The General Assembly

wanted to make sure that drivers young drivers on our highways were getting more

practice time behind the wheel, and so that was the impetus behind starting these logs

(Leslie).
The GDL system is also keeping the bad drivers off the road by limiting the time of day

they are allowed to be on the road. This system does not allow new drivers for the first

six months to driver after the hour of 9:00 PM. The North Carolina GDL system,

enacted December 1, 1997, requires beginning drivers 15 to 17 years of age to hold level

1 licenses, allowing driving only while supervised by a designated adult for a full year;

followed by level 2 licensure, allowing unsupervised driving from 5 AM to 9 PM (Foss).

With his study, it shows that the number of crashes dropped.

The laws that have been enacted to keep bad drivers off the road have been effective. With the

GDL and the additions to it, we have seen a drop in teen related accidents which helps to the

overall cause to make the roads safer.

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Is their bias in how we see the definition of bad driving?

There is bias in how we see bad drivers. The main bias is one we cant help and that is

gender bias. Men tend to break the law and crash while women tend to crash due to lack

of skill. In the effort to make sense of the gender divide, evolutionary psychologists

propose that we consider some of the differences, risks and irrational behaviors

associated with driving as part of the neural circuitry we once needed for survival. Man,

the hunter gatherer needed to speed, navigate unwelcoming areas, and risk boundaries.

Woman, the child bearer and caregiver needed to socialize and communicate (Phillips).
There is also bias from how good of a driver you are. Eric Peters, an automotive

columnist, gives a list of what makes people bade drivers. A majority of the reasons he

gives is based on the concept of not having the skill to operate a motor vehicle. Like

following too closely, failing to signal your intentions to other motorists is dangerous

and rude. Theres no good reason not to signal and several good reason to do so

(Peters). Peters is an automotive columnist which gives him bias toward people that like

to drive and are good at it.

There is always going to be bias when talking about bad drivers. This however could be

intentional or not just based on our evolutionary traits. Even though there is some bias, we still

have the capability to agree on somethings.

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Is there any common ground between the definitions of bad driving?


There is some common ground when it comes to agreeing on some aspects of bad drivers.
Evan Peters, who is a respected automotive columnist list reasons bad drivers are bad

drivers. This includes reasons form both sides of the argument. Everyone has an opinion

about good vs. bad driving but here are some things we should be able to agree

on (Peters).
Although there is dispute on the definition of bad driving, facts dont lie. In Michael

Pines website showing top reasons for car crashes, it has reasons that include both lack

of skill and not following the rules of the road. The number one cause of car accidents is

not a criminal that drove drunk, sped or ran a red light. Distracted drivers are the top

cause of car accidents in the U.S. today. A distracted driver is a motorist that diverts his or

her attention from the road, usually to talk on a cell phone, send a text message or eat

food (25 causes).

There is always going to be some kind of gap that separates people and their views of bad

drivers. There are however things that drivers do that we can agree on and that is supported by

facts.

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Work Cited
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25 Causes of Car Accidents. Serious Accidents, Law offices of Michael Pines,

seriousaccidents.com/legal-advice/top-causes-of-car-accidents/.

Foss, Robert D, et al. Initial Effects of Graduated Driver Licensing on 16-Year-Old Driver

Crashes in North Carolina. 3 Oct. 2001.

Leslie, Laura. New Law Requires Teen Drivers to Log Time behind Wheel. WRAL.com, 28

Dec. 2011, www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/10541020/.

Peters, Eric. What Makes Someone A Bad Driver? National Motorists Association, 8 Apr.

2010, www.motorists.org/blog/bad-drivers/.

Phillips, Suzanne. Men and Women Drivers: The Gender Divide. Psych Central.Com, 29 July

2011, blogs.psychcentral.com/healing-together/2011/07/men-and-women-drivers-the-gender-

divide/.

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