It’s no wonder that teens have the highest crash risk of any age group or that such crashes remain the leading cause of death for young people ages 15-20. Nevertheless, nine out of ten teens (89 percent) consider themselves to be "safe" drivers.
Maybe more disturbing is the fact that many teens apparently don’t consider risky driving behaviors to be dangerous at all. For example, more than one in four teens say they believe speeding, talking on a cell phone while driving, and not wearing a safety belt are safe. In addition, approximately one in five isn’t concerned about driving after drinking or using other drugs.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on average more than 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year, nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes, and more than 3,500 are killed.
So how can we reverse this trend? Research suggests five action steps that young people and their parents can take to improve road safety during this busy back-to-school season – and all year long.
Debunk the myth of invincibility—teens generally feel that they are protected from life by an invisible protected shield, but parents can make it clear that danger exists, particularly behind the wheel.
Empower teens to insist on safe driving by their friends.
Set a good example.
Establish family driving rules.
Enforce consequences.
Sadly, the Duxbury tragedy is not an isolated event. It is part of an alarming trend of dangerous and distracted driving on the part of young people inexperienced behind the wheel and unfamiliar with the road.
With the hustle and bustle of the new school year comes renewed focus on academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Let’s add driving safety to the list … and certainly neither last nor least.
Stephen Wallace, national chairman and chief executive officer of SADD, Inc. (Students Against Destructive Decisions), has broad experience as a school psychologist and adolescent counselor. The SADD/Liberty Mutual teen driving research can be found at www.sadd.org and www.libertymutualinsurance.com.
See timely resources on Road Safety and Teens
Joan Ludwig 10/11/07
Kids who grow up in cities and don’t have driver’s ed in school and don’t get a car for their 18th birthday may mess up in other ways but it probably wont’ be drinking and driving. Of course in the suburbs the distances are great, and kids need cars to get around, but maybe not their own cars. The first criterion of road safety should be cracking down on parents’ permissiveness.
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