National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 16-22, 2022

A week dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to prevent teen injuries and deaths on the road. 

 

Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.  Why so many crashes?  Newly licensed drivers lack the experience that is developed over time to safely operate a motor vehicle in different driving environments and conditions.  This week we urge parents and teens to start or continue to have positive discussions about driving safety.  Scares, threats and ultimatums don't work.  Knowing the facts, agreeing to the rules, positive reinforcement and leading by example work.  Here's what you need to know.

 

• Most teen crashes are not caused by aggressive driving or thrill-seeking. Instead, they are more often caused by errors associated with inexperience.

• Quality supervised driving practice matters. A randomized, controlled trial found that teens with families that followed the TeenDrivingPlan program were 65% less likely to make dangerous driving errors.

• Novice teen drivers’ crash risk drops by more than two-thirds after the first 1,000 to 1,500 miles of independent driving.

• The majority of fatigue-related crashes are caused by drivers under age 25 years.

• Distracted driving, drowsy driving, and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs raise the risk of teen drivers crashing. Other behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt or speeding, are known to increase the likelihood of injury or death if a crash occurs.
   

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