This year’s National Teen Driver Safety Week is taking place October 20-26.
As part of the campaign, parents are encouraged to have conversations with their teenagers about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel.
These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers including alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, and number of passengers.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States, ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.
In 2017, there were 2,247 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver, of which 755 deaths were the teen driver, a three percent decrease from 2016.
The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is leading on the campaign, said parents can be the biggest influencers on teens’ choices behind the wheel if they take the time to talk with their teens about some of the biggest driving risks.
NHTSA’s website offer parents tips on how to talk about safe driving behaviors and provides detailed information and statistics on teen driving. It also outlines the basic rules parents can use to help reduce the risks for teen drivers.
