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Teenagers only account for 13 percent of licensed drivers in Canada, but they account for roughly a quarter of all road-related injuries and fatalities.
Distraction is a key factor, and accounts for between 15 to 19 percent of all fatal collisions involving teen drivers, according to Parachute Canada, a charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives.
Teaching your teen good driving skills is a conversation.
And conversations need to focus on using a seatbelt, avoiding distractions and never driving while impaired.
National Teen Driver Safety Week shines a light on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “5 To Drive” campaign, a list of 5 steps teen drivers can take to improve their safety on the road.
The “5 To Drive” campaign, which began in 2013, focuses on using a seatbelt, avoiding distractions and the dangers of intoxicated driving.
The “5 to Drive” campaign is:
- No cell phone use or texting while driving. This age group has the highest percentage of drivers distracted by phone use.
- No extra passengers. NHTSA data shows that a teenage driver is 2.5 times more likely to engage in risky behaviors when driving with one teenage passenger and three times more likely with multiple teenage passengers.
- No speeding. Speeding was a factor in 42 percent of the crashes that killed 15- to 20-year-old drivers in 2013.
- No alcohol. The minimum legal drinking age across the country is 21. However, in 2013, among 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in crashes, 29 percent had been drinking.
- No driving or riding without a seat belt. In 2013, 55 percent of all 15- to 20-year-old occupants of passenger vehicles killed in crashes were unrestrained.