“Approximately 8 percent of all licensed drivers involved in fatal crashes are between 15 and 18 years old, and motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for this age group.”
Source: A Fresh Look at Driver Education in America, NHTSA, April 2012
Get Involved
1. Share important driving tips in these fact sheets for novice drivers with your teenager.
2. Set ground rules and consequences for your teen driver, and get it in writing.
3. Know and understand your State’s GDL laws. Start with this GDL primer for parents.
4. Be a role model – practice safe driving habits every time you drive.
Explore Driving School Options
Ask the right questions. Go to The Driving School Association of The America’s driving school index for more information on professional driving schools in your state.
Fact Sheets for Novice Drivers
• Alcohol and Driving – Alcohol and other impairing drugs are involved in approximately 40 percent of all traffic crashes in which someone is killed each year.
• Blindzone Glare Elimination – With enhanced mirror settings, you can avoid turning and looking into the blindzones. All that’s required is a glance outside the mirror to see if a car is there.
• Driver Distractions – Although any distraction while driving has the potential to cause a crash, some are particularly hazardous to young drivers under 20.
• Efficient Steering Techniques – Crash statistics indicate that driver errors involving steering techniques are the main causes of crashes where drivers run off the road. Teens are more likely to overcompensate when their vehicle drops off the shoulder than older drivers.
• Proper Seatbelt Use – In 2010, 60 percent of all 16- to 20-year-old occupants killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing their seat belts.
• Risk Management – Low-risk drivers are those who identify potential hazards, reduce risk by adjusting their speed or position, and communicate their intentions to others.
• Visual Search/Perception – Scanning helps you anticipate having to change speed or roadway position because of problems ahead, such as vehicles or people that may be in the roadway or signs warning of problems ahead.
• Work/Construction Zones – When approaching a work zone watch for cones, barrels, signs, large vehicles, or workers in bright colored vests to warn you and direct you where to go.