If you have ever driven a significant amount in South Dakota, you have more than likely noticed the diamond-shaped signs with the word “THINK” printed across them, with a red “X MARKS THE SPOT” on one side, and “WHY DIE” and “DRIVE SAFELY” on the other side. These are a somber, silent reminder of what can happen when behind the wheel.
I have driven on more interstates, highways, and back routes in the state of Wyoming than I have ever dreamed of driving in South Dakota and can honestly say that I have seen double, if not triple, the amount of these “crash site markers” on the few roads I have driven in South Dakota. I mean there are at least a dozen—maybe even two dozen of them—in the 10 mile stretch of highway between Spearfish, SD and Deadwood, SD.
So what is to blame for all of these signs? As USA TODAY reports in a March 14, 2008 article, part of the reason may be that South Dakota’s driver’s license laws are too lax.
“Given that auto accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among young people, and given that inexperience contributes to many of the crashes, these states clearly have a lot of work to do. In 2006 alone, nearly 8,200 15-to20-year-olds died as a result of vehicle crashes, double the U.S. death toll from the five-year Iraq war,” stated the article titled “Teen death toll mounts where state licenses are lax”.
According to the South Dakota Driver Licensing Program in order to obtain a driver’s license in this state you must be:
· At least 14 years of age
· Able to submit proof of name, age and address
Growing up in Wyoming I wasn’t allowed to get my driver’s permit until I was 15-years-old and my actual license until I was 16-years-old. About a year after I got my license Wyoming switched to the graduated driver’s license program.
The 2005 Wyoming State Legislature passed a graduated licensing law requiring persons under the age of 17 to obtain an Instruction Permit and Intermediate Permit prior to receiving full driving privileges. Persons who do not obtain an Intermediate Permit will be required to be 17-years-old before full driving privileges can be issued.
I find it hard to stomach seeing kids who look like they are 10-years-old and barely able to see over the dashboard driving around Spearfish, SD where I go to school. The fact that they can get their license at such a young age is shocking to me.
The fact of the matter is that inexperience does lead to more crashes. With crazy weather conditions like we have here in the Black Hills if you don’t have the experience that you need, chances are you will end up in a car crash.
While license laws are a state rights issue, “some states have done such a poor job of heeding the evidence that Washington is now threatening to intrude,” the USA TODAY article went on to say.
It is evident from the number of “crash site signs” around South Dakota that it is time to do something different. It is about time that they take their own advice and, “THINK. WHY DIE?”