The State of Wisconsin decided to waive the road test requirement for obtaining a new driver’s license. The reason for this change is to contain the spread of coronavirus. This flawed policy may have unintended consequences by contributing to more accidents and possibly deaths by unintentional injury.
Beginning May 11, individuals aged 16 and 17 years would be able to obtain a driver’s license if their parents sign a waiver that certifies that the applicants have completed a minimum of 30 hours of supervised driving. For those aged 18 years or older, parental certification would not be required.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens. Broadly for the age group of 1 to 44 year-olds, unintentional injury, largely from motor vehicle accidents, was the leading cause of death.
Automobiles, these days, come with advanced safety features to help prevent accidents and reduce the risk of injuries. However, the most important aspect in preventing accidents is to train drivers properly, and raising awareness about good driving practices. Sadly, texting while driving continues to be a safety threat, and there been widespread campaigns to curb such behavior.
Ensuring safe driving continues to be challenging goal to accomplish. The most important first step in achieving this is to make sure that new drivers, whether teens or other adults, are going through a road test with high standards before being approved to have a driver’s license.
The state government of Wisconsin has made a flawed policy decision by waiving the road test. Waiving this test may lead to more vehicular accidents, and perhaps greater life threatening and non-life threatening injuries.