Research shows that drivers 16 to19 years are at a higher risk of automobile accidents than any other age group. These studies suggest that new drivers are more at risk because of their lack of experience behind the wheel, prompting many states to advocate graduated driver licensing programs. Some experts believe that imposing restrictions on new drivers is a start, but feel there is more that can be done even before teens get behind the wheel of a real car.

Starting next month, certain high schools across the country will be updating their drivers’ education programs with new simulators that teaches teenagers about the modern dangers of driving. The simulators will feature 3-D triple screen LCD monitors that deliver an interactive experience teaching new drivers the dangers of talking on cellphones and texting behind the wheel. With the old simulators, the students would laugh and easily lose interest. Now, if a student gets into an accident the windshield will shatter on the screen and they will hear ambulance sirens, just like they have been in an accident.

Wade Allen, the technical director at Systems Technology Inc. of Hawthorne, Calif., and a driver training researcher for the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, is searching for schools to participate in a pilot program financed through a CDC grant that would upgrade their computer labs with desktop driver training and simulation software. The new simulators come at a price, but are considered the safest way to practice key skills and develop safe habits without the dangers of the road.