Modest restrictions on teen drivers

Minnesota is at the top of the charts when it comes to teen traffic fatalities. Legislators are thankfully taking some action.

Thanks to Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis), new drivers may have some further restrictions soon. A bill passed the Minnesota House, that among other things, would restrict new drivers from driving with more than one under-20-years-old passenger (who is not a sibling) for the first 6 months behind the wheel. New drivers would also be not permitted to drive between the hours of 12 and 5 AM, unless traveling between home and work or a school event.

As someone who believes that the drinking age needs to go down, but the driving age needs to go up, I applaud these modest changes. Of course, I don't think they go far enough. I don't understand why these restrictions couldn't be for the first 12 or 18 months of holding a license--especially on late-night driving.

These modest restrictions will probably only have modest results. But when talking about teen lives being saved, each little bit counts. If we're serious about saving lives on Minnesota's roads, we'd probably also invest in mass transit as a driving alternative for young people.

The Star Tribune gives further details on the measure in an article on Friday. Overall, it is a good piece. I was annoyed by one line about one-third the way in: "The statistics on teen crashes are heart-stopping." In the grand scheme of things, I know it isn't a big deal; but this cute, play-on-words in reference to teen driving deaths has the unintended impact of making light of the subject rather than underscore it. No, the statistics aren't heart-stopping. The accidents themselves are literally heart-stopping. Keep in mind that to anyone who knew a young person who has died in a car crash, it is much more than a "heart-stopping statistic." It is a devastating reality.

Yes, this is hardly bad enough to complain about. It is a pet peeve of mine. Certainly, it could be worse.

Please, news reporters, please stop using figurative language in reference to a subject that is literally true. You might think it is clever writing, but it is cheap and often comes out wrong.