Brain Development Research Supports Teen Drivers with Graduated License Laws
According to new data from the National Institute of Mental Health scientists and safety experts concluded that teens below 16 years old have not reached the maturity necessary for driving. The brain’s parts responsible for emotional maturity and motor skills are the ones that mature the most.
Teens are less likely to be killed behind the wheel, as state governments take teen driving seriously. Russ Rader, of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said that it’s not because teens are safer. Rader cites the importance of laws that prevent teens from driving alone at night or with others teenagers.
The brain’s areas and their functions
The frontal lobe is the most critical for driver functions. It monitors emotional maturity and motor skills. A lack of development can lead to increased risk-taking and inability to execute complex maneuvers.
- Temporal Lobe
This is the part of your brain that is responsible for language recognition and memory skills. Learning road rules and motor skills could be made more difficult if the temporal lobe is not developed or damaged.
- Parietal Lobe
This sensory area is important because it serves two main functions. It integrates senses to create perceptions and represents these perceptions in the environment. The parietal-lobe is involved in nearly all visual and audible actions.
- Occipital Lobe:
To be able to safely drive, we need to have the occipital-lobe, which is the center of our visual perception system. A damaged or undeveloped occipital-lobe can cause hallucinations and blindness.
- Cerebellum:
The cerebellum is the second most important part of driving skills, after the frontal lobe. It monitors the emotions associated with fear and pleasure which can lead to reckless or dangerous driving behaviors.
- Medulla:
Most known for essential body functions we rarely think about: the cardiac, respiratory, vasomotor centers. As the part of the brain that monitors breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, the medulla is least susceptible to damage.
No surprise, brain size doesn’t necessarily equal intellectual or emotional maturity. The scientific community is becoming more aware of the implications of this fact for teens who drive. The brain is only 80 percent matured by adolescence. However, new research shows that the brain signals necessary for motor skills and emotional maturity do not reach the brain’s frontal region. This is where many driving skills are found.
Is the Teen Brain Completely Developed at What Age?
At least 25 years old, the teen brain does not develop fully. Adults reach 20 years old when white matter starts to spread from the back to the front of the brain. This process usually takes between 25-30 years. The brain section responsible for driving skills most closely is the frontal, shown above. This area manages motor skills, emotional maturity and risk aversion. This is why teens are more likely to speed and disobey traffic signs.
California’s graduated license program allows teenagers to get their drivers permits at the age of 15 and six months. After that, they must only be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Drivers who turn 16 years old are eligible for restricted licenses. The driver must be accompanied over 25 by an adult for the first 12 months. They cannot drive between 11pm and 5am during this time. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety estimated in 2006 that graduated license laws had reduced the number of accidents among 16-year-olds by 23 per cent, and prevented more than 8,000 injuries and accidents involving teens.
Summarized from an article by GJEL Accident Attorneys.
