Youthquake Ahead

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If it seems like there are a lot of teen drivers on California roads now, beware: the "youthquake" is coming. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) has learned that a teenage "youthquake" of massive proportions will soon sweep the state.

A study, commissioned by the OTS in conjunction with the California Coalition Against Driving Under the Influence (CaDUI), projects that over the next decade the number of teens in California will increase by 33 percent (Department of Finance Projections). The implications of this "youthquake" could be catastrophic.

Statistics show that teenage drivers are responsible for a highly disproportionate number of collisions, injuries and deaths. You take this a step farther and mix inexperienced with alcohol use and you have a deadly combination waiting to happen. According to the study, by 2007, 15-17 year olds will cause 24 percent more motor vehicle-related deaths because they will choose to drink and drive.

The OTS hopes to begin preparing for the "youthquake" by alerting the public now. The teen population increase will be one of the biggest challenges California faces. But forewarned is forearmed. We need to work together, with law enforcement and public policy makers and with our own communities, to reduce the impact of the impending population increase.