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July 26, 2020

Training a Safer Teen Driver and the Myth of the

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Teenagers who get their drivers license at age 18 or later may be missing important safety training that’s usually given to younger drivers. A policy change could improve driver safety training at all ages.

Then, if you bought into the stereotype of “mean teens,” recent research may surprise you.

And, the COVID-18 lockdowns have led to a nationwide shortage of coins, leaving many businesses unable to make change. What caused the coin shortage and what’s being done about it?

Episode Segments

Training a Safer Teen Driver

Teens are getting drivers licenses later than previous generations and missing critical safety training as a result, according to Dr. Federico E. Vaca, PhD, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the Yale Developmental Neurocognitive Driving Simulation Research Center.Dr. Vava outlines potential policy changes that could expand and improve driver safety training, regardless of age.

The Myth of the \"Mean Teen\"

Prof. John-Tyler Binfet, Associate Professor of Education at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, discusses his research into kids and kindness, which challenges media stereotypes that teens are common perpetrators of bullying, cyber harassment and schoolyard fights. He says most parents would be surprised at how kind their children are to others outside of the home. He also suggests ways for parents to encourage their kids to be kind.

Nationwide Coin Shortage

The reaction to COVID-19 shutdowns has led to an unexpected coin shortage nationwide, causing some businesses to notify customers that they have no change to give, or to encourage only electronic transactions. Prof. Daniel Soques, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, explains the factors behind the shortage and what steps are being taken by the Federal Reserve to address it. He also says that moving away from physical cash and coins disproportionately affects low income and homeless people.

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