May 28, 2008

Teens Behind the Wheel

“When it’s least expected, you’re elected.” That was the beginning theme to the classic TV show “Candid Camera,” and now, a one-hour documentary is taking a similar tack in detailing the driving behavior of teens. Statistically, newly licensed teen drivers have higher accident and traffic violation rates, so to find out why the teen driving environment is often so dangerous, the documentary “Teens Behind the Wheel” took an unprecedented look at what actually happens when newly licensed teenagers drive. The one-hour documentary, presented by Travelers of New Jersey, premiered recently on New Jersey Public Television and is now being distributed in DVD.

For the production, 10 newly licensed teens agreed to have video cameras mounted to the windshields of their cars for six months. One camera was aimed at the road and another lens pointed at the driver, and any sudden change in the vehicle’s movement triggered the camera to record 20 seconds of footage, with the goal of starting just as a potential incident actually occurred. The documentary was not intended to catch kids behaving badly, which is a bit of a shame, but to give viewers an accurate look at what happens in the early months of teenage driving. The revealing results may shock some parents, as may some of the kids’ outfits. The cameras recorded numerous crashes and traffic violations as well as risky driving behavior. The insurance company Travelers of New Jersey is distributing DVDs of “Teens Behind the Wheel” to every high school in New Jersey.

“Our goal is to assist schools in the important mission of educating teens on the dangers of reckless driving. We’re hoping this program will be viewed during driver’s education classes, student assemblies and parent meetings,” said Travelers of New Jersey General Counsel Lisa Pollak.