Teen Car Accident Prevention

Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for adolescents. Teen drivers (ages 16 to 19) are involved in fatal crashes at four times the rate of adult drivers (ages 25 to 69). Yet many teen driver-related injuries and deaths are preventable. There are three common critical errors newly licensed teen drivers make that lead to serious crashes: lack of scanning to detect and respond to hazards, driving too fast for road conditions, and being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle. Car accident prevention begins with helping teens gain the experience and skills necessary to stay safe on the road.

How to Prevent Car Accidents

Car accidents can be prevented with plenty of high quality driving practice to help teens develop these skills and to gain experience in a wide range of environments, including nighttime driving. The quality, quantity, and diversity of driving practice can make the learning experience more effective. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have developed and tested the TeenDrivingPlan Practice Guide to help parents and their novice drivers make the most of the learner’s permit period of licensure.

Parents can promote safe driving behaviors by modeling them for their teens and agreeing on house rules to enforce safe driving rules:

• Use seat belts on every trip, as a driver and as a passenger
• Follow all driving laws, including no speeding and no in-car cell phone use
• Don’t speed
• No driving while impaired (drugged, drunk, or drowsy)