Ethiopian Melat Dagnew from Las Vegas talks about getting her driving license

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LAS VEGAS — Younger, less experienced drivers are more likely to be killed in a car crash than older drivers. Studies show it is the leading cause of death among teens nationwide.

More than 14,000 instruction driver permits have been issued in Nevada since the beginning of this year. Those permits go to new drivers learning the rules of the road before they are licensed. Metro Police were reaching out to those younger drivers Wednesday at the Department of Motor Vehicles. They handed out flyers with safety tips and driving contracts that the teens can sign and give to their parents. By signing the contract, a teen promises to drive safely.

New driver Melat Dagnew is one of those new drivers who is feeling the excitement of being on the road.

“The first time when I drove, I was really nervous,” she said.

Dagnew is not only young, she is new to America. She moved from Ethiopia a year ago.

“Of course, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. But I learn from those mistakes,” she said.

Dagnew’s driving instructor, David Arnoldsen with National Driving School, says she’s a great student. Arnoldsen rides in the passenger seat with his own set of brakes and watches every move a student makes while driving.

“For them, it’s 100 percent new,” he said.

Over the years, Arnoldsen has seen some young drivers not pay proper attention. While he’s never been in an accident with a student, there have been some close calls.

“It’s not always the student’s fault. They make mistakes. They step on the gas instead of the brake. But a lot of times, there’s been several times that other drivers, carelessly or willfully, have turned in front of us,” Arnoldson said.

“They’re still in that on-the-job training aspect. They’re still learning,” said Lt. David Jacoby, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Jacoby was one of the officers at the DMV handing out safety flyers.

“Some of the minor fender benders can be chalked up to inexperience,” he said.

Jacoby says he doesn’t believe teens are to blame for an alarming number of accidents, but, he adds, inattention is a problem.

“They still need to be aware, take that little bit of extra precaution.”

Dagnew may have her driver’s license by the end of the week. She says she plans to fully obey the rules of the road.

In Nevada, first-time drivers must attend a classroom or online course in drivers education and complete 50 hours of behind the wheel driving experience. In rural areas of Nevada, where classroom courses are not offered nearby, drivers are required to complete 100 hours behind the wheel if they don’t want to do an online course, according to the DMV.