Parents can help reduce teen driving accidents by modeling and encouraging good driving habits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) encourage parents to discuss safe driving behaviors with their teen drivers and to make sure teens understand the rules of the road before giving them the keys.
Teens (15-18 years old) are killed in car accidents at a rate that is higher than the national average. In 2020, there were 2,276 persons killed in teen driving accidents, with 748 of those deceased being adolescent drivers. In 2020, an estimated 90,564 teen drivers were injured in traffic accidents, and an estimated 153,566 individuals were hurt in teen driver wrecks, accounting for over 7% of all roadway injuries that year.
Teen Driving Accidents
“Parents play a critical role in teen driver safety and in communicating important driving safety
information,” said Michelle Anderson, director of operations for the National Road Safety
Foundation is a non-profit that’s been promoting safe driving behavior for 60 years. “New teen
drivers are still gaining experience behind the wheel, which increases the chance of dangerous
situations for the teen and other roadway users around them, which is why it’s so important for
parents to have these discussions with their teens.”
“Teens learn the rules of the road in driver education, but it’s through parent conversations and
their home environment that the lessons are driven home and the rules enforced,” Anderson said. “Teens also learn safe driving behavior by watching their parents drive over the years before teens even begin learning to drive, so adults need to be good role models and set a consistent example of safe driving behavior.”
Teens should also be encouraged to speak up if they are passengers in a vehicle that’s being
driven unsafely. A new website from NRSF and We Save Lives has information and offers
several scenarios to illustrate how passengers can effectively speak up when safety is at risk.
The NHTSA says that the number one risky behavior leading to teen driving accidents is impaired driving. Nationally, 19% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2020 had alcohol in their system. Teens need to be reminded that driving under the influence of any impairing substance — including illicit or prescription drugs, or over-the-counter medication — can have deadly consequences.
Distracted Driving also leads to an unfortunate number of teen driving accidents. Among teen drivers involved in fatal crashes, nearly 10 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the crash.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident due to negligence or carelessness, talk to an Orlando car accident attorney at the Martinez Manglardi personal injury law firm. Call 866-730-3508 for a free consultation. Convenient locations throughout Central Florida.
