There have been some horrific traffic accidents involving teens in Wisconsin, but state transportation officials contend a law passed more than a decade ago is working to keep kids safe behind the wheel.
The latest tragedy came in Fond du Lac County last weekend, when three teenage girls were killed while out driving with a group of friends. Officials say the driver lost control of the vehicle, rolling it multiple times in a farm field and ejecting several passengers.
Despite the latest incident, state Traffic Safety Director Sandy Huxtable says crashes and fatalities involving teens have declined in the past decade. She credits a 2000 law that created a graduated drivers license in Wisconsin.
AUDIO: Maj. Sandy Huxtable (:19)
The graduated drivers license program restricts the ability of teens to drive for their first two years behind the wheel. It’s intended to give them more experience by controlling who can ride in the vehicle with them and the hours they can drive.
Since the law’s passage, Huxtable says crashes involving drivers between 16 and 18 are down about 25-percent, while fatalities have decreased nearly 50-percent.
WIBA’s John Colbert contributed to this report.
