“100 Deadly Days of Summer”
Safety Tips to Protect Teen Drivers
As teens are enjoying the freedoms of summer, the risk of New York State 16-17 year-old drivers being involved in a “deadly” car crash increases. Teen drivers are more likely to drive with more than two teens in the car and less likely to buckle up during the summer months. Drivers and passengers who do not buckle up are more likely to be killed in car crashes. Teens are more likely to be involved in serious car crashes compared to older drivers. Teen passengers can create deadly distractions for inexperienced teen drivers. Teen drivers carrying two or more teen passengers are five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash compared to teens driving alone. Be aware that teen drivers are most likely to be involved in a serious car crash during the first 6-12 months of unsupervised driving. Most car crashes involving teen drivers are due to driver inexperience. Newly licensed drivers generally know how to deal safely with a few traffic situations, however, they tend to overestimate their driving skills and underestimate driving hazards.
Take Steps to Protect Your Teen Driver
- · Talk to your teen about the dangers of teen driving and ways to reduce the risk of a crash and injuries. For more information about teen driving safety, go to www.dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver/parents.htm or www.health.ny.gov
- · Make sure your teen complies with the NYS Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Law and traffic laws. A GDL law allows teens to safely get driving experience before getting all of the privileges of driving. Discuss the GDL with your teen and how the law protects teen drivers. Restrictions for nighttime driving, driving with teen passengers and cell phone use should be strictly enforced.
- · Stress the importance of seatbelt use. NYS law requires junior licensed drivers and their passengers to ride restrained.
- · Use a written parent/teen driving agreement to manage your teen’s driving during the first six months of licensure. Parents who set rules and monitor their teens' driving behavior in a supportive way can lower their teens' crash risk by half. For samples of parent/teen driving agreements go to: www.dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver/ParentTeenContract.pdf or www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/pdf/Driving_Contract-a.pdf
For more information about the NYS GDL and other useful tools to manage your teen’s driving, go to www.dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver/parents.htm