Teen Driving Safety Toolkit

    Overview

    Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths and hospitalizations for teens ages 16 to 17 in New York State. Every day, approximately six teen drivers in NYS are treated at hospitals due to vehicle crashes. In NYS, 30% of the teen driver deaths, ages 16-17, occurred during the months of June, July, and August. During the summer months, 16-17 year-old drivers in NYS are more likely to be severely injured or killed in motor vehicles crashes. Drivers in this age group have lower rates of seat belt use and are more likely to transport multiple teen passengers which are factors that contribute to increased injury and crash risk .

    Driver inexperience is the leading cause of crashes involving teen drivers. Most crashes are not caused by teens who drive recklessly. According to a national study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, nearly half of the car crashes involving teen drivers were caused by driver errors. These errors include the lack of ''scanning'' skill to assess the environment sufficiently while behind the wheel, and driving too fast for road conditions (not necessarily exceeding the speed limit, or being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle). Driving inexperience, coupled with distractions, such as the presence of teen passengers and cell phone use, is a scenario that can greatly increase the risk of a deadly car crash.

    Motor vehicle crashes are preventable. Research indicates that the institution of comprehensive graduated driver licensing laws dramatically reduces the number of fatal and injury related crashes among 16-year-old drivers. In addition, a parent/teen driving agreement is a tool recommended for parents to help manage their teen's driving and reduce crash risk.

    This toolkit provides a variety of materials and parental management tools/resources to promote teen driver safety practices in your community. We encourage your participation to promote this important message:

    Key Points

    • Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for 16–17 year-olds in New York State.Teen drivers and their parents should be aware of the increased risk of injury-related motor vehicle crashes and preventive measures to reduce crash and injury risks;Crash risk is highest for teens during the first year of unsupervised driving.
    • Driver inexperience is a leading cause of teen driver crashes. Most crashes are due to driver errors. Safe driving is a skill acquired over time. Research indicates that the part of the brain which manages the body's motor skills, emotional maturity, aversion to taking risks, and is most responsible for driving skills is not fully developed until age 25. Due to this fact, teens are particularly vulnerable of engaging in risky behaviors, such as impaired driving, distracted driving and speeding, and fail to recognize their dangers compared to older drivers.
    • Parents and teens should learn about and comply with the New York State driving laws and the GDL. These laws are designed to delay full licensure while allowing teens to obtain their initial driving experience under low-risk conditions to keep teens and others safe on roadways.Comprehensive Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws are associated with a 80% decrease in crashes for 16 and 17 year-old drivers.
    • Parental management of teen driving reduces teen crash risk. Involved parents who set rules and monitor their teens' driving behavior in a supportive way can lower their teens' crash risk by half.
    • Parents are encouraged to use the NYS GDL to develop a set of appropriate driving limits for their new teen drivers and read more about it "here".
    • A written parent/teen driving agreement can be used by parents to set family rules about driving and outline clear consequences for breaking the rules. Samples of parent/teen driving agreements can be found on the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee website and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
    • Additional parental driving management tools are recommended and located on the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles website.

    Teen Driving Risks

    • Male drivers are more likely to be involved, seriously hurt, or fatally injured in a crash than their female counterparts.
    • Newly licensed teens have the highest crash risk which extends through the first year of unsupervised driving.
    • Night driving - the largest proportion of fatal crashes involving 16-17 year-old drivers occur between 9:00 p.m. – midnight, while the largest proportion of crashes involving all drivers occur between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
    • The presence of teen passengers increases crash risk - the largest proportion of passengers killed or injured in vehicles with drivers ages 16-17 were teens ages 16-17, followed by passengers ages 18-20.

    Factors Contributing to Crashes and Injuries

    • Driver inexperience. Teens are more likely to underestimate dangerous situations and less likely to recognize hazardous situations when driving.
    • Speeding or driving too fast for road conditions.
    • Driving distractions. These include cell phone use, the presence of teen passengers, and driver inattention.
    • Driving conditions. Teens tend to drive more frequently under higher risk conditions, such as at night increasing crash and injury risk.
    • Brain development/maturity. A teen's brain does not function like an adult. The part of the brain that manages emotional maturity, risk taking, and is most responsible for driving skills is not fully developed until age 25. Due to this fact, teens are more likely to take risks when driving and often fail to recognize the dangers.

    NYS Graduated Driver Licensing Law

    The current NYS GDL Law has regional restrictions and includes the following components:

    • Consists of a three-stage licensing system beginning at age 16 for learner's permit, age 16 and six months for the intermediate stage, and age 18 for full licensure (age 17 for teens who complete driver education).
    • Includes a mandatory holding period during the learner's permit stage of up to 6 months.
    • Requires a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice driving during the learner's permit stage, at least 15 hours of driving must be done at night.
    • Prohibits unsupervised nighttime driving between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the intermediate stage.
    • Requires every passenger riding in a car with a teen driver to be restrained.
    • Prohibits transporting more than one passenger younger than age 21 unless a parent or guardian is in the vehicle.
    • A Brief Overview of New York State Graduated Driver Licensing Law (GDL): A Parent’s Guide was designed to raise awareness of the GDL restrictions and requirements for advancing through each stage of the GDL. It is available through the NYSDOH, with separate versions for:

      • Reminder: NYS law prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones for drivers of all ages as well as texting while driving for all drivers.

    • Educate parents and teens about the increased risk of fatal and injury related teen crashes and risk reduction strategies.
    • Increase parental and teen knowledge of and compliance with the NYS GDL with emphasis on night-time driving and teen passenger restrictions.
    • Encourage parents to monitor and manage their teen's driving by using driving management tools such as:
    • Promote the safety benefits of seat belt use and compliance with the NYS Occupant Restraint law by teen drivers and their passengers.

    Teen crashes are preventable. Lives can be saved through educating parents, teens, and other community members about the injury risks of teen driving and promoting safe driving practices. The materials and resources in this tool kit will provide the tools to conduct activities to promote teen driving safety in your community.

    Collaborate with Schools, Parents and Health Providers

    • Refer parents to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention "Parents are the Key" materials
    • Provide teen driving safety messages during morning announcements at high schools.
    • Set up a teen driving safety educational display and distribute parent/teen driving agreements at high school events.
    • Suggest that high schools allow students write short messages, such as "Drive Safe," "Buckle Up," "Don't Drive Distracted," with sidewalk chalk in the school's parking lot.
    • Provide teen driving safety educational and promotional materials to PTA groups, driver educators, school nurses and health teachers.
    • Send an eblast (email message) to PTA members and parents that includes an article on teen driver safety.
    • Provide teen driver safety handouts and educational materials to pediatricians, medical care providers, hospital discharge units, schools and youth centers.
    • Set up an educational display at local libraries and community centers.
    • Request a “Share the Keys” presentation (an interactive orientation program for parents and their teen drivers)on teen driving safety for school and community groups by emailing DOH staff at injury@health.ny.gov

    Sample Teen Driver Safety Article

    Safety Tips to Protect Teen Drivers

    Drivers and passengers who do not buckle up are more likely to be killed in car crashes. Teens are more likely to be involved in serious car crashes compared to older drivers. Teen passengers can create deadly distractions for inexperienced teen drivers. Teen drivers carrying two or more teen passengers are five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash compared to teens driving alone.

    Be aware that teen drivers are most likely to be involved in a serious car crash during the first 6-12 months of unsupervised driving. Most car crashes involving teen drivers are due to driver inexperience. Newly licensed drivers generally know how to deal safely with a few traffic situations, however, they tend to overestimate their driving skills and underestimate driving hazards.

    Take Steps to Protect Your Teen Driver

    • Talk to your teen about the dangers of teen driving and ways to reduce the risk of a crash and injuries. For more information about teen driving safety, go to www.dmv.ny.gov or www.health.ny.gov
    • Make sure your teen complies with the NYS Graduated Driver Licensing Law and traffic laws. A GDL law allows teens to safely get driving experience before getting all of the privileges of driving. Discuss the GDL with your teen and how the law protects teen drivers. Restrictions for nighttime driving, driving with teen passengers and cell phone use should be strictly enforced.
    • Stress the importance of seatbelt use. NYS law requires junior licensed drivers and their passengers to ride restrained.
    • Use a written parent/teen driving agreement to manage your teen's driving during the first six months of licensure. Parents who set rules and monitor their teens' driving behavior in a supportive way can lower their teens' crash risk by half. For samples of parent/teen driving agreements go to NYS Governor's Traffic Safety Committee website and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

    For more information about the NYS GDL and other useful tools to manage your teen's driving, go to www.dmv.ny.gov.

    Sample Twitter Messages

    • Driver inexperience is the main cause of teen car crashes. Spend at least 50 hours supervising your teen's driving.
    • Parent of teen driver? Teens are likely to adopt your driving habits. Set a good example. Drive safely and responsibly.
    • New teen driver in the house? Use a parent/teen contract to manage your teen's driving.
    • Parent of a Teen Driver? Do you know the NYS GDL law? Learn more.
    • Be Smart. Learn how to Share the Road!!
    • Don't Drive Distracted.
    • Texting while driving is deadly. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel!
    • Make sure you and your friends buckle up EVERY time. Seatbelts save lives!
    • Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens. To learn more, visit www.safeny.ny.gov.
    • Texting while driving is deadly. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel!

    Sample Facebook Messages

    • Parent of teen driver? Teens are likely to adopt your driving habits. Set a good example. Avoid speeding, cell phone use and abide by NYS driving laws.
    • Teens riding with teen drivers can be deadly distractions. Teen drivers carrying two or more teen passengers are five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash compared to teens driving alone.
    • Distracted driving is a leading cause of teen driver crashes.
    • Unbuckled back seat passengers can be "back seat bullets." They can kill or seriously injure themselves and others in the car. Be safe. Buckle up every time in every position.
    • Driving drowsy can be as dangerous as driving drunk. Prevent drowsy driving-related crashes by pulling over to the side of the road when tired.
    • No text message or cell phone call is worth risking your life. Be smart. Pull over to the side of the road if you need to use your cell phone. For more information on distracted driving, visit www.distraction.gov
    • Speeding is a leading cause of teen crashes and easy to prevent. Leave early so you don't feel rushed to get to your destination.
    • Are you the parent of a sixteen or seventeen year-old driver? It's important for your teen to follow the NYS Graduated Driver License law to be safe on the road.
    • Parents who manage and monitor their teen's driving cut their crash risk in half. Use a parent/teen driving agreement to protect your teen driver.
    • Are you concerned about your teen's reckless driving? NYS parents of junior licensed drivers can file a form to withdraw their teen's license.
    • Take charge of your teen's driving. Sign up for the New York State Teen Electronic Event Notification Service (TEENS).