NSC Releases Tips for Parents of Teen Drivers
A National Safety Council poll found that 76 percent of parents are unaware driving is the biggest risk to teens' safety.
In observation of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month, the National Safety Council has released a list of five tips for the parents of teen drivers. A recent study by the organization found that 76 percent of parents are unaware that driving is the biggest risk to teen safety.
Here are the things the NSC believes parents need to know:
- Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens.
- Teens crash because they are inexperienced, not because they take more risks.
- Other passengers, especially teens, are one of the biggest distractions for teen drivers.
- Most fatal nighttime crashes for teens happen between 9 p.m. and midnight.
- More than half of teens killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.
"Parents tend to worry most about the things we hear in the news, like cyber bullying and drug and alcohol use," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "But car crashes are the number one killer of teens. Ensuring our most vulnerable drivers safely gain the experience they need will result in more teens attending prom and graduation, not their friends' funerals."