Nov 4, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 4 min read

Lou DiSimone has a theory on why so many young people are being killed in local traffic accidents as a result of speeding. DiSimone, a driver’s education teacher at Connellsville Area High School, said several years ago classroom instruction was eliminated from the curriculum in a number of schools as a cost-cutting move. He said a number of schools like Connellsville emphasize only the driving part of driver’s education.

“Let’s have a course in school that can help every kid,’ said DiSimone, noting that almost all high school students eventually obtain their driver’s license.

“What’s the price, one life? Is it one mill?’ asked DiSimone.

A driver’s education teacher since 1968 who is retiring at the end of this school year, DiSimone said young drivers need to be taught early the importance of driving at safe speed, as teens were taught in the past.

DiSimone said that by taking the theory class, students learn information such as force of impact and what happens when vehicles strike things at various speeds.

Noting that young people have a mentality of indestructibility, DiSimone said young drivers have to be taught that they can be in an accident.

“No one gets up in the morning and says they will get killed in an automobile accident today,” he said.

Unfortunately, that’s happening all too often with young drivers, according to a recent PennDOT study. It noted that 84 people 16 to 25 years old died in the four-county area as a result of speeding during a six-year period.

In District 12, which includes Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, from 1996 through 2001, 8,062 people were involved in speed-related crashes, with drivers 16 to 25 years old accounting for 49 percent, or 4,218, of the accidents. Of those crashes, 157 fatalities were recorded, with 54 percent, or 84, of those killed being 16 to 25 years old.

Jay Ofsanik, safety press officer for PennDOT District 12, called the numbers staggering.

Ofsanik said that a speed-related crash is defined as “any reportable crash in which speed was listed as a contributing factor, whether or not the driver was noted as going over the posted speed limit.”

Although speeding by young drivers has been an ongoing problem, Ofsanik said it seems that recently there has been a rash of speeding accidents. Ofsanik said for teen-age drivers in particular, driving an automobile can be a very exciting, yet deadly, experience.

He said in a society fascinated with fast cars, it is very easy for a young, inexperienced driver to be overcome with the desire to speed down the highway. Unfortunately, high speeds often overwhelm their limited driving skills, he said.

In a year-by-year breakdown for the local three-county area over the six-year study, Washington County had the most fatalities with 35. Fayette County had 17, and Greene County had eight.

The breakdown is as follows:

– Fayette County: one in 1996, three in 1997, five in 1998, three in 1999, three in 2000 and two in 2001.

– Greene County, two in 1996, two in 1997, zero in 1998, one in 1999, two in 2000 and one in 2001.

– Washington County, nine in 1996, eight in 1997, four in 1998, three in 1999, five in 2000 and six in 2001.

PennDOT urges parents to be aware of their teen-agers’ driving habits and skills. Ofsanik said vehicle crashes continue to be the leading killer of teens, and parents should talk to their teen-agers and remind them of the dangers of driving.

PennDOT offers the following tips to parents to help ensure their young drivers do not put themselves at risk for injury or death when driving.

– Be a good role model and slow down and buckle up.

– Know who is riding with your teen-ager and limit the number of occupants in the vehicle. The more people, the greater the potential for distraction and the chance of being involved in an accident.

– Ask where they are going and what they will be doing.

– Limit Friday and Saturday night driving. Most alcohol-related crashes occur during this time.

– Demand that your teen-ager wear their seatbelt, and insist that all passengers wear belts as well.

– Talk to the parents of your child’s friends and discuss the driving habits of each.

– Look for excessive tire wear. Bald tires could indicate excessive speed in turns and spinning tires.

– Monitor the number of miles driven.

– Don’t purchase high performance vehicles for your teen-ager.

– Report speeding drivers to the police.

– Don’t be afraid to say no.