National Teen Driver Safety Week
On Sunday, October 17, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the start of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which lasts until Sunday, October 24. The week is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of inexperienced teen drivers and strives to educate both parents and teens on teen driver safety.
Car accidents are the leading cause of fatalities for American teens, age 15 to 19, and comprises 35 percent of teen deaths overall in America. Teens are involved in three times as many fatal car accidents as all other drivers.
In 2008, there were 3,752 teens killed in car crashes. That same year, 4,457 teen drivers were involved in wrongful death car accidents. 692 of those deaths were because of distracted driving by a teen, which is about 16 percent. Overall in 2008, 4,965 people were killed in fatal auto collisions with a teen driver; 795 of those deaths were due to a distracted teen driver, or about 16 percent.
In Missouri, teen drivers make up only nine percent of all Missouri drivers, and yet are involved in approximately 23 percent of all fatal traffic accidents.
In honor of National Teen Driver Safety Week, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is offering a new teen driving safety guide, Road Wise, to help both parents and teens understand Missouri’s Graduated Driver Licensing program as well as good safety tips to help make learning how to drive a safe experience for everyone. The guide also includes a log to practice driving time with parents, which is required in order to obtain a Missouri learner’s permit.
Copies of Road Wise are available at the Department of Revenue, State Highway Patrol offices and driver education classrooms. You can also request a copy by calling Highway Safety at 1-800-800-BELT or fill out an order form.
