Teen Driving Safety Information

Teen driving*

On the basis of miles driven, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as are all drivers. Why do young drivers have such poor driving performance? Three factors work together to make the teen years so deadly for young drivers:

• Inexperience
• Risk-taking behavior and immaturity
• Greater risk exposure
  

  Teen drivers are different from other drivers, and their crash experience is different. Compared to other drivers, a higher proportion of teenagers are responsible for their fatal crashes because of their own driving errors.

• Nearly 30 percent of 16- to 20-year-old occupants were killed when they were ejected during a crash, compared with 22 percent of the general population. This increased percentage for 16- to 20-year-old occupants further illustrates the need to promote safety belt use in this age group.

What Parents of Teenagers can do:

When parents understand the risk factors involved in letting 16 year-olds get behind the wheel, they can act to improve the situation for their own children.

• Don't rely solely on driver education: High school driver education may be the most convenient way to learn driving skills, but it doesn't produce safer drivers. Poor skills aren't always to blame for teens' crashes. Their attitudes and decision-making skills matter more. Young people naturally tend to rebel, and peer pressure influences them more than advice from adults. They often think they're immune to harm, which is why they don't use safety belts as much and why they deliberately seek thrills like speeding. Training and education don't change these tendencies.

• Restrict night driving: Most nighttime fatal crashes among young drivers occur between 9 p.m. and midnight, so teenagers shouldn't be driving much later than 9 p.m. The problem isn't just that late-night driving requires more skill. Outings late at night tend to be recreational. In these circumstances, even teens who usually follow all the rules can be easily distracted or encouraged to take risks.

• Restrict passengers: Teen passengers in a vehicle can distract a beginning driver and/or lead to greater risk-taking. Because young drivers often transport their friends, there's a teen passenger problem as well as a teen driver problem. Almost two of every three teen passenger deaths (62 percent) occur in crashes with a teen driver. While night driving with passengers is particularly lethal, many fatal crashes with teen passengers occur during the day. The best policy is to restrict teen passengers, especially multiple teens, all the time.

• Supervise practice driving: Take an active role in helping your teenager learn how to drive. Plan a series of practice sessions in a wide variety of situations, including night driving. Give beginners time to work up to challenges like driving in heavy traffic or on the freeway. Supervised practice should be spread over at least six months and continue even after a teenager graduates from a learner's permit to a restricted or full license.

• Remember you are a role model: New drivers learn a lot by example, so practice safe driving. Teens with crashes and violations often have parents with poor driving records.

• Require safety belt use: Don't assume that belt use when you're in the car with your 16 year-old means belts will be used all the time, especially when your child is out with peers. Remember that belt use is lower among teenagers than older people. Insist on belts all the time.

• Prohibit driving after drinking: Make it clear that it's illegal and highly dangerous for a teenager to drive after drinking alcohol or using any other drug. While alcohol isn't a factor in most crashes of 16-year-old drivers, even small amounts of alcohol are impairing for teens.

• Choose vehicles for safety, not image: Teenagers should drive vehicles that reduce their chances of a crash and offer protection in case they do crash. For example, small cars don't offer the best protection in a crash. Avoid cars with performance images that might encourage speeding. Avoid trucks and sport SUVs -- the smaller ones, especially, are more prone to roll over.

• Talk to your teens about drinking and driving. Include a strict zero tolerance policy about alcohol in your rules for use of the family car. In many cases this will reflect (and supplement) graduated licensing laws.
  Make an agreement with your teens. They agree to call for a ride if they or their friends have been drinking and don’t have a safe way home. You agree to provide a ride regardless of where or when — no questions asked. Save the discussion for the next day.

• Make sure your teens understand that even if they don’t drive, getting in a car with someone who has been drinking can still lead to the same devastating effect. Don’t sensationalize, but make them aware of the potentially fatal consequences.
  

*Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Additional resources for Parents and Teens:

• Road Ready Teens
• TeenDriving.com

If you don’t see safety information on this page that you think should be here please email us: info@safedrives.com.

Thank you,

And be safe,

Safe Drives Staff

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