Parents Urged to Take Active Roles During National Adolescent Motorist Safety Awareness Week
In light of National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) is urging parents and guardians to have crucial conversations with their teen drivers about safe driving habits. The NRSF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization dedicated to reducing crashes, deaths, and injuries on highways by promoting safe driving habits, is working with key youth advocacy groups and sponsoring contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities.
According to the latest data, motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for teens in the United States, with over 170,000 people injured in crashes involving a teen driver in 2021 alone. The risk of a fatal crash dramatically increases in direct relation to the number of passengers in a vehicle driven by a teen. In 2021, 2,608 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver, and an estimated 94,208 teen drivers were injured.
The NRSF's programs focus on addressing major teen crash risk factors such as distracted driving, speeding, and risky passenger situations. Distracted driving, particularly texting and peer distractions, is a primary contributor to teen crashes, with 7% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2021 reported as distracted at the time of the crash, and cell phone use being a significant risk factor. Speeding is also a significant factor, with nearly one-third (32%) of all teen drivers involved in fatal crashes speeding at the time of the crash.
Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not recognize dangerous situations. To combat this, the NRSF suggests parents discuss the following key safety issues with their teen drivers:
- Buckling up—always wearing seat belts. More than half (51%) of the teen drivers who died in crashes in 2021 were not wearing seat belts.
- Avoiding distractions—including texting, talking on the phone, and having multiple teen passengers in the vehicle. Distracted driving is a major factor in teen crashes, with 39% of high school drivers texting or emailing while driving in recent surveys.
- Not speeding and obeying traffic laws. Speeding is involved in a significant percentage of fatal teen crashes.
- Limiting the number of young passengers in the car, especially during the first months of licensed driving, consistent with Graduated Driver Licensing laws. The risk of a fatal crash dramatically increases in direct relation to the number of passengers in a vehicle driven by a teen.
- Leading by example with their own safe driving behaviors to reinforce these habits. Studies show that teens watch what their parents do, and it's up to parents to be good role models by demonstrating safe driving behavior all the time.
The NHTSA also provides detailed information and statistics on teen driving, and outlines tips parents can use to address teen driver safety risks at www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving. For more information or to download free programs, visit the NRSF's website at www.nrsf.org. The National Road Safety Foundation offers tips for talks with teens in its Passport to Safe Driving, available free online at https://www.nrsf.org/passport-safe-driving.
The conversation should cover wearing seat belts, avoiding distractions (phones and peer passengers), obeying speed limits, and eliminating impaired driving—all reinforced by parents modeling safe driving behavior. Inexperience is a major factor in teen crashes, and parental engagement in discussions on safe driving behavior and setting firm rules has been shown to result in teens who are typically engaged in less risky driving behaviors and are involved in fewer crashes.
The Foundation underscores the importance of parents having explicit conversations promising adoption of safe driving habits. Open discussions about the dangers of impaired driving, particularly substance use other than alcohol, are critical, as 19% of teen passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2021 had substances other than alcohol in their system.
In conclusion, the National Teen Driver Safety Week serves as a reminder for parents and guardians to have open and honest conversations with their teen drivers about safe driving habits. By following the tips provided by the NRSF and the NHTSA, we can work together to reduce the number of crashes, deaths, and injuries on our roads involving teen drivers.
- To enhance their family's health and wellness, parents should engage in discussions about safe driving habits with their teenagers, focusing on mental health aspects like avoiding distractions and not speeding, as these factors influence the young drivers'Decision-making.
- In the pursuit of education and self-development, parents can utilize resources from organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) to ensure their teenagers adopt safe driving habits, aiding in their personal growth.
- Promoting family health and mental health goes beyond physical health; parents can foster this by demonstrating safe driving behaviors, setting rules for teen drivers, and educating them on the dangers of impaired driving, thereby becoming positive role models for their children in terms of health and wellness.
