In the past ten years, the number of teens killed in car crashes has dropped by half.
In 2003, there were 5,718 teen deaths resulting from car accidents reported in the United States. In 2013, there were 3,194 less teen fatalities reported. The bad news is that there were still 2,524 teenagers killed in car accidents in the year 2013, making car accidents the leading cause of death for teens in the United States.
While laws and regulations vary from state to state, most drivers can get a learner’s permit at the age of 16. A learner’s permit requires the teen driver to be supervised by a licensed adult at all times that they are behind the wheel. After the driver reaches the required age level and/or meets the requirements for professional driving instruction, along with a passing score on the written driver test, a teenager can graduate to an intermediate license. At this stage, drivers can operate the vehicle independently, but there are strict regulations regarding how many passengers can be in the car, and what hours the intermediate license holder can drive.
New Jersey stands alone as the only U.S. state that mandates a reflective seal to be on the beginner and intermediate level license, alerting law enforcement officials to readily identify new drivers. According to New Jersey statistics, car accidents involving teenage drivers were reduced by ten percent after two years of the decal program.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENTING TEEN DRIVER FATALITIES
Even with all of these laws and regulations, parents remain the primary educators and regulators for teen drivers. Parents who drive too fast teach their children that it is acceptable to drive over the mandated speed limit. Parents who take unnecessary risks, such as using their cell phone while driving, teach their children that following the rules is not always necessary. Parents who choose not to buckle up may result in their children not using seatbelts when they become independent. All of these learned behaviors have a significant impact on the number of teenage drivers killed each year.
According to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition, the highest rate of fatal car accidents involving teenagers occur within the first three months of independent driving. Law enforcement officers catch just a fraction of teen drivers that break the law. Parents need to closely supervise their children as they begin to drive independently, and have firm consequences when their teens break the rules. Enforcing curfews, ensuring that there are a restricted number of passengers in the car driven by their teenager, and keeping a close eye on their child’s behavior is essential to ensure the safety of teen drivers and prevent fatal car accidents.
