October 19-25 is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year olds. Teenagers are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash than adults. As many of these 30% of these accidents involve alcohol. Distracted driving is also a key issue. The most dangerous time of a teen driver’s life is the first 12 months of holding an independent license.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a Driver Education Toolkit with a variety of fact sheets on topics that are valuable to novice and experienced drivers alike:
- Alcohol and Driving
- Blindzone Glare Elimination
- Driver Distractions
- Efficient Steering Techniques
- Proper Seat Belt Use
- Risk Management
- Visual Search / Perception
- Work / Construction Zones
Other great resources include the National Safety Council’s Teen Driving page, the Insurance Information Institute’s Teen Drivers page and Ride like a Friend.