Last week, a new law was passed to prohibit the use of cell phones, whether handheld or hands-free, by young drivers with provisional licenses. While AAA Minnesota/Iowa agrees all drivers should self-regulate the use of cell phones to vehicles not in motion, we want parents to realize that cell phones are not the greatest danger to their teenage drivers. Parents should not see this legislation as a solution to the large numbers of fatal and near fatal crashes that occur every year in Minnesota.

We have all read the stories about tragic car crashes in the early morning hours involving teenage drivers with multiple teenage passengers. The problem is as serious as the headlines indicate.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. Sixty-five percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving and 43 percent of fatal crashes involving teenagers occur at night (between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.).

On Jan. 1, 1999, the state of Minnesota activated a Graduated Drivers License (GDL) system, adding a provisional license stage for young drivers. The current law is a three-phase system for youth under the age of 18: Phase 1, Instruction Permit; Phase 2, Provisional License; and Phase 3, Full License. The current law also places restrictions for moving violations and/or alcohol/controlled substance violations. In addition, several conditions must be met before a driver can receive their license including testing, behind- the-wheel instruction and parent/guardian consent.

The current law, although improved, still lacks two key components that would better ensure the safety of all drivers. AAA Minnesota/Iowa would like the current law to incorporate time-of-day and passenger restrictions for the Phase 2, Provisional License. AAA Minnesota/Iowa supports restricting driving between the hours of 12 midnight and 5 a.m. as well as limiting the number of passengers to one person, excluding family members, during the Phase 2, Provisional License stage. Other states that have added these restrictions have seen vast improvements in crash and fatality statistics.

Young, inexperienced drivers account for the largest percentage of all vehicle crashes and driving at night with other teenagers only increases that crash risk factor. With the GDL system, AAA Minnesota/Iowa believes young drivers will receive additional supervised driving time and skills needed to be safer drivers and thus, reduce the number of fatalities and injuries for Minnesota's young drivers as well as all Minnesota drivers.

Next session, I hope our legislature will make these enhanced changes to our current GDL system, and I urge all parents to consider the proposed changes and ultimately to support them by calling their respective state legislators.