National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 20–26, 2019, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with the Summit Count Sheriff’s Office, AAA Akron, and the Traffic Safety Council of Summit County to help empower parents to discuss the importance of driving safety with their young drivers. The week is a perfect time to begin — and continue — this conversation, and to remind parents not to hand over the car keys until their teen knows the rules of the road. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old in the United States, ahead of all other types of injury, disease, and violence.
“Because of their lack of experience, teen drivers are a potential danger to themselves and to other drivers, which is why it is so important that parents take time to discuss driving safety with their teens,” said Kevin Thomas, President & CEO of the AAA Akron Auto Club. “Teens will learn much of this content in drivers’ education classes, but it’s their home environment that will really help these lessons and rules stick. We need parents to set these rules before handing over the car keys,”
Parents play an important role in helping ensure their teen drivers take smart steps to stay safe on the road. NHTSA gives parents tips on how to talk about safe driving behaviors with their teens, and to address the most dangerous and deadly driving behaviors for teen drivers: alcohol, lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, speeding, and driving with passengers.
NHTSA’s website, www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving, has detailed information and statistics on teen driving, and outlines the basic rules parents can use to help reduce the risks for teen drivers:
Kevin Thomas said, “We hope parents will start the conversation about safe driving during National Teen Driver Safety Week, but then continue the conversations — every day throughout the year — to help keep their teens safe behind the wheel.”
For more information about National Teen Driver Safety Week and to learn safe driving tips to share with your teens, visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving and teendriving.aaa.com/OH.
