Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of preventable death for teenagers in the US with more than 2,700 losing their lives in 2023, according to the National Safety Council.
As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, held in October, free resources to help parents, caregivers, driver education instructors and community organizations to keep young drivers safe were distributed through the DriveitHOME program.
“Behind every statistic is a young person with their whole life ahead of them,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy. “Parents and caregivers have more influence than they realize. The conversations you have today about safe driving habits can protect your teen for years to come. NSC is here to make those conversations easier and more effective.”
In 2023, crashes involving young drivers (age 15-20) resulted in 5,588 deaths, a 4.2 percent increase from the prior year.
Research commissioned by NSC shows that while 82 percent of parents feel confident in teaching their teen to drive safely, only 55 percent consider themselves knowledgeable about best practices. The Council’s resources aim to help equip parents with proven strategies to keep young drivers safe.
