The iconic Driver's Ed. that is depicted so often on the big screen is fast becoming a thing of the past. These courses are not necessarily requirements for new generations. This means that many of the new drivers on the road are not as prepared for day to day driving. It is not much to ponder that car crashes are the leading cause of accidental fatality in teenagers. Research from the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety says that uneducated drivers are much more likely to get a traffic conviction than their educated counterparts. The study used cross-sectional comparison of over 94 thousand educated and non-educated teen records. Educated teen drivers were 40 percent less likely to receive a traffic conviction and 4.3 percent less likely to crash. Drivers who completed the program tended to have raised:

• Safe driving knowledge and practice
• Hazard anticipation
• Driving exposure
• and fewer self-reported risk-taking behaviors.

This research also confronted the fact that Driver's Education programs may only have modestly improved students' ability to recognize road hazards and overall knowledge. The study endorsed the fact that the NHTSA-funded Novice Teen Driver Education and Training Administrative Standards should be utilized in states and their driver's education programs.

Jay Ciulla is a Phoenix personal injury and wrongful death lawyer.