As teens look ahead to traveling more while school is out for the summer, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding young drivers that their actions behind the wheel matter and is urging parents to model good driving behavior.
Traffic fatalities among youth aged 15 to 20 in Colorado reached a tragic record high in 2025, with 86 drivers and passengers killed. The spike marks a 91% increase in youth crash deaths since 2015.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old.
Colorado State Patrol said the top factors for teen driving crashes in 2025 were distracted driving, speeding, lane violations, following too close and animal involved crashes. Nationally, teenagers consistently have the lowest seat belt usage of any age group, and in Colorado, 39% of teen drivers who die in crashes were unbuckled.
“CDOT cannot stress enough the importance of life-saving actions young drivers must take,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
“We have seen some positive trends with teenage drivers who use good behaviors such as putting phones away, respecting speed limits and wearing a seatbelt. When consistently used, these behaviors help to prevent crashes and fatalities. Driving a vehicle is an immense responsibility requiring safe driving behavior that parents and all adults should model for young drivers so they observe, learn and adapt good, safe habits from the very start.”
